TREASURY

Asbestos

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer of 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 745W, on asbestos, if he will list the buildings which have been identified as containing asbestos.

John Healey: All departments are aware of the new Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work (CAW) regulations 2002 and will be fully compliant by the required date of 21 May 2004. Information on buildings identified as containing asbestos has been placed in the Library of the House

British Overseas Territories

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what responsibilities his Department undertakes in connection with British overseas territories.

John Healey: Together with FCO and Inland Revenue, HM Treasury seeks to ensure that the regulation of the financial services sector in the Caribbean overseas territories, Bermuda and Gibraltar is maintained to the highest international standards, and that these territories comply with international standards of fiscal transparency.

Environmental Taxes

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the revenue received by the Government from taxes paid by different modes of transport that are designed to have an environmental impact (a) as a proportion of total UK environmental tax revenue and (b) in relation to the contribution made to UK GDP by each transport mode.

John Healey: The Chancellor considers a range of relevant economic, social and environmental factors when deciding all taxation policy. Determining a definition of what is an environment tax is therefore difficult as: some taxes have been specifically designed to help achieve environmental goals, such as the aggregates levy, landfill tax and the climate change levy; some have been restructured to reflect environmental impacts, such as fuel duty differentials, company car tax and reforms to capital allowances to provide tax incentives for environmentally-friendly technologies; and some taxes were introduced for non-environmental reasons, but can have some environmental impact—for example, air passenger duty.
	A number of these environmental taxes, such as landfill tax, climate change levy and aggregates levy, were introduced alongside offsetting tax cuts and recycling of revenue into environmental spending programmes, making them broadly revenue neutral.
	This Government has also demonstrated a commitment to using alternatives to taxation to protect and improve the environment, for example tradeable permit schemes as well as regulation and spending programmes.
	A modern economy could not function properly without an effective transport system. Figures are not readily available disaggregating the contribution of transport to the economy into different transport modes.
	In addition, many of the outputs of transport, such as the benefits from journeys by car, are not fully captured in national measures of UK GDP. The table below sets out revenues from the main taxes with a strong environmental dimension in 2002–03.
	
		Other environmental taxes
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Climate Change Levy 0.9 billion 
			 Landfill Tax 0.7 billion 
			 Aggregates Levy 0.3 billion 
			 Fuel Duties  
			 Ultra low sulphur petrol 12.7 billion 
			 Ultra low sulphur diesel 9.2 billion 
			 Road gases: 8.0 million 
			 Biodiesel 0.9 million 
			 Vehicle excise duties  
			 Cars 4.2 billion 
			 Lorries 0.28 billion 
			 Buses 29 million 
			 Company car tax 3.6 billion

Euro

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro;
	(2)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro;
	(3)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro;
	(4)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro;
	(5)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro;
	(6)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro;
	(7)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro;
	(8)  what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro.

Paul Boateng: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) on 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 459W, which stated that Ministers will be holding a series of meetings around the country, campaigning for a pro-European consensus.

Household Debt

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average (a) household debt per annum and (b) household monthly income in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Cable dated 16 July 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on average household debt and household income. (125834)
	The information requested is shown in the table below. The households' financial liabilities and households' gross disposable income series used in the calculations are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. The accounts for the household and NPISH sectors are currently combined; separate estimates are not available.
	
		Average household debt per annum and monthly household income for each year since 1997 -- £000
		
			  Average household debt during year(1) Average household income per month(2) 
		
		
			 1997 24,500 1,950 
			 1998 26,000 2,000 
			 1999 28,000 2,100 
			 2000 30,500 2,200 
			 2001 33,500 2,350 
			 2002 37,500 2,400 
		
	
	Notes
	(1) Rounded to nearest £500.
	(2) Rounded to nearest £50.

Income Tax

Robert Syms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies his Department is undertaking on the possible effects of an increase in income tax.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have committed themselves not to increase the basic or top rates of income tax within the lifetime of this Parliament. Policies on income tax rates and allowances are set out in the Budget and Pre-Budget reports, which are available in the Library of the House.

Income Tax

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2003, Official Report, column 933W, on income tax, what factors underlay his conclusion that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dawn Primarolo: The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost because nearly 2,000 pieces of information have been requested (increasing the basic rate limit to seven different levels, and for each limit, introducing 13 additional higher income tax rates for 20 annual gross income levels). The sum of these requests would require a separate analysis that would exceed the rate for reasonable cost.

Pension Schemes

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the statistics on the Inland Revenue regarding approved pension schemes, available at: http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/pensions/p t091 htm, which of the figures are based on (a) administrative data and (b) information compiled by the Office for National Statistics.

Dawn Primarolo: The figures in the table are compiled from a number of different sources. Inland Revenue estimates of average marginal rates of income tax are used with ONS data on occupational pension contributions (net of estimated transfers, refunds and surrenders compiled from FSA and ABI data); investment income; lump sum payments; and pensions in payment. All other components of the table are Inland Revenue estimates based primarily on administrative data.

Unemployment (Wandsworth)

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effect of his policies on unemployment levels within the London borough of Wandsworth during the last 12 months.

John Healey: In Wandsworth, as in the rest of the UK, the Government's policies to deliver a sound and credible platform of economic stability and to improve labour market performance are helping to achieve our long-term goal of employment opportunity for all. As a result, the claimant count in Wandsworth is down by 44 per cent. on its 1997 level.
	Recognising the importance of worklessness as a constraint on the economy, the Government have made a particular commitment to help those excluded from the labour force back into employment. The Government's new deal policies have helped almost 900 long-term unemployed aged 25 and over in Wandsworth over the last 12 months to gain new skills and experience. This, in combination with our other policies, has helped to reduce both youth and long-term claimant count unemployment in Wandsworth by over 20 per cent. in the last year and by over 60 per cent. since 1997.

TRANSPORT

Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of drivers who avoid paying car tax.

David Jamieson: A national roadside survey June 2002 showed that some 1.75 million vehicles were evading vehicle excise duty (VED). There are currently over 30 million registered vehicles.
	The survey indicated the loss of revenue from evasion at some 4.5 per cent. of that due. This equates to £193 million in 2002–03. This loss was offset by £110 million in fines, penalties and relicensing revenue through enforcement action, brought against 820,000 offenders.
	A further range of measures were announced on 22 May to modernise the vehicle registration system. These are designed to improve the accuracy of the vehicle register, help local authorities tackle abandoned vehicles, reduce VED evasion and vehicle crime generally.

Armed Aircraft Marshals

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether armed marshals are being deployed on British aircraft; and what information is being given to the captain of the aircraft.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend announced on 19 December the development of a capability to place covert armed police on UK registered aircraft, where warranted. For reasons of security, no information about this capability—for example the number of officers involved in the programme, the scale of their deployment, or the nature of their interface with aircraft crew—is made public.

Birmingham Airport

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implications of postponing the widening of the M42 on Government proposals for a second runway at Birmingham Airport.

Tony McNulty: The recent announcements on the roads strategy and West Midlands Multi Modal Study could not take account of any future airport expansion as no decisions have yet been made. However, we announced that between Junctions 3–7 of the M42, Active Traffic Management measures would be trialled from 2004, which would provide additional capacity at peak times on this stretch of the network, and the case for widening would be reviewed in the light of these trials.
	If the Air Transport White Paper were to favour a second runway at Birmingham airport then the major surface access enhancements required to accommodate the associated growth will also need to be identified and reflected in the 10 Year Plan for Transport.

Birmingham Airport

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air passengers used (a) UK airports and (b) Birmingham International Airport in (i) August and (ii) September in each year from 2000 to 2002.

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	
		Thousands
		
			  Birmingham UK 
		
		
			 2000   
			 August 820.6 18,866.5 
			 September 835.4 18,013.2 
			
			 2001   
			 August 867.6 19,659.5 
			 September 827.0 17,480.9 
			
			 2002   
			 August 882.5 20,165.0 
			 September 858.3 18,680.0 
		
	
	Source:
	Civil Aviation Authority

Birmingham Airport

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the numbers of passengers using (a) UK airports and (b) Birmingham International Airport in (i) August and (ii) September in each year from 2003 to 2030.

Tony McNulty: The Department's air traffic forecasts provide annual figures rather than month-by-month projections. The key forecasts for 2015 and 2030 under two scenarios are in the following table, as contained in the consultation document. The RASCO figures include the assumption that significant new capacity is provided in the south-east; SEC assumes no new capacity is provided in the south-east above that already approved through the planning system. All figures are in million passengers per annum (mppa).
	
		mppa
		
			  Birmingham 
		
		
			  
			  
			 RASCO 2015 16–19 
			 RASCO 2030 28–38 
			 SEC 2015 18 
			 SEC 2030 41 
		
	
	The national forecast range for 2030 is 400–601 mppa from a base in 2000 of 180 mppa.

British Overseas Territories

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responsibilities his Department undertakes in connection with British Overseas Territories.

Tony McNulty: While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has general responsibility for the overseas territories, this Department takes the lead on international transport issues.
	The Secretary of State is responsible for:
	the general superintendence of all matters relating to merchant shipping under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, which includes ships registered under the law of an overseas territory;
	ensuring that overseas territories implement the IMO International Ship and Port Facility Security Code;
	ensuring that the overseas territories implement international standards relating to aviation safety and security;
	issuing permits to foreign airlines wishing to operate scheduled or programmed charter services to or from the overseas territories;
	negotiations on EC legislative proposals on transport matters which will apply in Gibraltar.
	My Department provides advice and assistance to the overseas territories regarding these and related issues on an ongoing basis.

European Roads Project

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Department's involvement in the Managing Speeds of Traffic on European Roads project.

David Jamieson: The MASTER project was part of the EU Fourth Framework Programme of research. It was a collaborative project part funded by the European Commission with a numberof European and UK partners. It was completed at the end of 1998. The Department provided financial support to the Transport Research Laboratory that enabled its participation in the project and sharing experience with the other partners

London Underground

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the performance statistics are for each London Underground line for the last year, broken down by London Underground's monthly units, for (a) track, (b) signals and (c) trains; and what the (i) lost customer hours and (ii) excess journey times were for each monthly unit.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for London Underground, who have provided the information requested. However, it is very detailed and I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

Road Speeds

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 14 July, Official Report, column 27W; if he will place in the Library the assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of increasing motorway speed limits to 80 miles per hour.

David Jamieson: New Directions in Speed Management—A Review of Policy, published in March 2000 and available in the Libraries of the House, provides information on the environmental impact of increased speeds on all roads. This information was included in the internal review and helped support the Department's conclusion that the current motorway speed limit should be retained.

National Air Traffic Services Ltd.

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings he has had with airline companies to discuss the performance of the National Air Traffic Services.

Tony McNulty: There have been no such meetings recently. National Air Traffic Services Ltd. is a private sector body. I would expect airlines to address themselves in the first instance to the company itself or to its regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority.

Vehicle Emissions

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what pollutants, broken down by volume, are emitted by (a) an average 2003 saloon car with a petrol engine travelling with average fuel consumption, (b) a 10-year-old double-decker service bus, (c) a diesel multiple unit train and (d) bendy-buses.

David Jamieson: The emissions of some of the key pollutants (carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter) from the vehicles in question are shown in tabular form below. The data is from the 2001 National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory.
	
		
			 Grammes per vehicle km CO2 NOx PM10 
		
		
			 2003 urban car (petrol) 155 0.14 0.001 
			 1993 urban bus 1003 10.93 0.528 
			 Average DMU train 1712 22.06 0.122 
			 Bendy bus n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	The car emissions are average figures for Euro III petrol vehicles operating at an urban speed. The bus emissions are average figures for Euro I vehicles also at an urban speed. It should be noted, however, that in practice many 10-year-old buses have been retrofitted with newer engines meeting tighter (ie Euro II or Euro III) emissions limits, or with pollution reducing equipment such as particulate traps. In these cases, emissions of NOx and PM10 would be much lower. Specific data for a bendy-bus is not currently available: much would depend on the age of the bus and the emissions standards it was required to meet at the time of purchase. The train emissions are average figures for diesel multiple unit trains used on regional networks. The majority of commuting by train is in London and the South East, where most of the trains are electric and so have zero local emissions. A full environmental comparison would need to incorporate occupancy figures but comparative data per passenger km is not available in the form requested.

Highway Maintenance (Ragwort)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contractual arrangements exist for the clearing of ragwort from highway land along the A36 (T) and the A303 (T) in the Salisbury constituency; and what the cost was in (a) the last financial year and (b) this financial year to date.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency manages the control of injurious weeds on the A36 and the A303 through its Area 2 Maintaining Agent (Atkins) and Term Maintenance Contractor (Raynesway Construction Southern). Under the terms of the arrangements, the Agent has a duty to manage the grassed and landscaped areas within Highways Agency land adjacent to the highway in compliance with the Trunk Road Maintenance Manual. In this Manual, Volume 2 Chapter 1.10 Section (b) 'Nuisance' states that the Highways Agency aims to take a proactive approach to the control of injurious weeds, such as ragwort, as defined in the Weeds Act 1959. Priority is given to the control of ragwort on highway land which is adjacent to or near agricultural or grazing land.
	The costs shown below have been calculated by proportioning the spend on the A36 and A303 routes as a whole to the lengths encompassed by the Salisbury constituency.
	The cost of clearing ragwort in the 2002–03 financial year was £19,500.
	The cost for clearing ragwort this financial year is £1,750 to date.

Road Haulage Companies

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many foreign road haulage companies have been prosecuted for failure to comply with (a) traffic and (b) road worthiness regulations in the UK in each of the last five years; and what the country of origin was in each case.

David Jamieson: The number of prosecuted traffic and roadworthiness offences committed by foreign drivers and operators since 2000 is as follows:
	2000—49
	2001—33
	2002—26
	
		
			 Nationality 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Handling agent based in UK 36 18 9 
			 Germany 6 6 10 
			 Republic of Ireland 0 0 2 
			 Netherlands 4 4 5 
			 Belgium 1 3 0 
			 Poland 2 2 0 
		
	
	Data prior to 2000 is not currently available.

Road Safety Strategy

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) timetable and (b) scope are of the Government's review of the Road Safety Strategy; and who will be conducting the review.

David Jamieson: The main objective of the review is to provide a realistic evaluation of progress on delivery of the Road Safety Strategy towards meeting the Government's 2010 casualty reduction targets. The review will therefore focus on implementation of the original strategy launched in March 2000 taking into account latest casualty trends, but will also assess new initiatives, problems or constraints that have emerged.
	The review is being conducted by the Department, in consultation with the Road Safety Advisory Panel and with many of the individual partners, both within and outside Government, who play an active role in delivering the Strategy. The aim is to complete the review in spring 2004.

School Buses

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many school buses have been brought into service since 1997.

Charles Clarke: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected.
	Statutory home to school transport in England is arranged by local education authorities. They may provide passes for eligible pupils to use on scheduled bus services, or negotiate contracts for dedicated bus services with bus operators.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Civil Servants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new entrants to the Civil Service were employed in her Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 or over.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 24 June 2003, Official Report, column 657W.

Departmental Policies (Pendle)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what policies (a) initiated and (b) managed by her Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Nationally, £1.6 billion of England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) funding is available to farmers from 2000 to 2006 for environmental protection and improvement, and rural development.
	All ERDP schemes, except one, are available in Pendle since 2001 and are shown as follows:
	Land-based schemes
	Countryside Stewardship Scheme;
	Energy Crops Scheme;
	Farm Woodland Premium Scheme;
	Hill Farm Allowance;
	Organic Farming Scheme; and
	Woodland Grant Scheme.
	Project-Based schemes
	Processing and Marketing Grant;
	Rural Enterprise Scheme; and
	Vocational Training Scheme.

Drinking Water

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on drinking water quality in England since 1993.

Elliot Morley: Standards of public drinking water supplies have improved year on year since the Drinking Water Inspectorate was set up in 1990. The Chief Inspector's Annual Report published on 9 July 2003 reveals that 99.87 per cent. of more than 2.9 million tests carried out in England and Wales during 2002 met all the national and EU drinking water quality standards. 10 years ago nearly 37,000 tests failed to meet these standards. Last year, that number was just 3,741. A copy of the Report is available in the House Library.

Equine Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings she has held with the British Horse Society on equine welfare.

Alun Michael: I have frequent and productive discussions with the British Horse Society to discuss horse issues and we also meet in the Rural Affairs Forum for England (of which the Chief Executive of the Society is a member). Officials in the Horse Industry Team and in other parts of my Department have frequent meetings with the Society and value their practical help and expert advice on welfare and other issues.

EU Committees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list (a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House.

Ben Bradshaw: The EU Committee on the Conservation, Characterisation, Collection and Utilisation of Genetic Resources in Agriculture does not have a fixed membership, but consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states
	The Committee has met twice since January 2002, on 29 January 2002 and on 24 February 2003. The agenda items it considered at these meetings were:
	Exchange of views on a Commission proposal for a new Council Regulation on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture (29 January 2002);
	Report on the state of projects funded under Council Regulation 1467/94 (29 January 2002 and 24 February 2003);
	Exchange of views on a Commission working document on a revised proposal for a new Council Regulation on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture (24 February 2003).
	No decisions were taken at these meetings.
	Decisions of EU Comitology Committees are not routinely deposited for scrutiny under established scrutiny procedures. Together with member states, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology Committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
	"simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
	The Working Group on the Friends of Comitology is meeting later this month to discuss proposals for interim reform. As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of the Committee. The second report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003 ref 5060/03, COM(03)733. As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Comitology Committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

EU Committees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on conservation of wild birds (ORNIS), the number of times and the dates on which it has met since January 2002, the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, the decisions it has made since January 2002 and the means used to communicate these decisions to the House.

Ben Bradshaw: The ORNIS Committee (the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on conservation of wild birds) does not have a fixed membership, but consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states. UK representation usually consists of one official from my Department, together with a scientific adviser from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Officials from the devolved administrations sometimes also attend meetings.
	Since January 2002 the ORNIS Committee has met twice, on 14 June 2002 and 26 June 2003. The main agenda items considered were:
	Commission's Sustainable Hunting Initiative: The Commission presented its draft guidance document on interpretation of the Birds Directive. Member states were asked for comments and corrections on the draft guidance and on scientific data. The updated guidance document was made at the last meeting, pending further consideration of a key chapter.
	Article 4 (Special Protection Areas): Member states provided updates on completing the Special Protection Area network and were updated by the Commission on progress regarding action plans for Annex I species.
	Update on EU enlargement preparations: Update from the Commission, including agreement that accession countries could attend future meetings as observers and that future Annexes to the Directive should comprise scientific names only (given the difficulty of including common names in the increasing numbers of languages). Timeframes for implementation of the directive as well as monitoring and peer review exercise for Accession countries.
	Other information points, including reporting by member states under Article 9 and 12 of the directive, seminar on management of the cormorant, information systems for NATURA 2000 and collaboration with the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). The UK also highlighted recent work in relation to the Ruddy Duck and sought supportive action in other member states.
	The ORNIS Committee is a Comitology Committee and its agendas covered normal business and ongoing work programmes. Meetings did not involve regulatory or substantive decisions, and therefore no specific arrangements were made to inform Parliament. Ministers receive regular briefing. Together with member states, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology Committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". The Working Group on the Friends of Comitology is meeting later this month to discuss proposals for interim reform.
	As an obligation to this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of the Committee. The second report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003 ref 5060/03, COM(03)733.
	As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Comitology Committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

EU Committees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list (a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House.

Ben Bradshaw: The committee on the conservation of natural resources and of wild fauna and flora does not have a fixed membership, but consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states.
	Since January 2002 there have been three committee meetings, on 14 March 2002, 20 November 2002 and 10 March 2003. In this period the agenda items included:
	The future participation of accession countries in the committee and related working Groups—agreed to permit access countries to the committee and groups as observers.
	Green week.*
	Marine issues and Marine Working Group—agreed to establish group with terms of reference to establish site selection and management criteria for sites beyond territorial waters.
	A Swedish proposal on the introduction of fungi species into the Appendix I of the Bern Convention.*
	Establishment of Natura 2000 network.*
	Application of Article 8 and Financing of Natura 2000—establishment of working group with terms of reference to estimate overall cost of managing the Natura 2000 network.
	Article 12 and Article 12 Working Group—establishment of group to consider generic species management measures and relevant definitions.
	Art. 17 and 16—reporting.*
	Estuaries—agreement to a definition of boundaries.
	Proposed Directive on Environmental Liability and its link to Natura 2000.*
	GIS: state of play concerning data submission.*
	Access to information.*
	Access to sensitive data—agreement to withhold data on particularly sensitive plants locations from websites/public domain.
	Life Nature restoration projects and commitments for designation.*
	Projects to co-finance under Life Nature (2002)—support for Commission proposals for co-funding of projects under the Life-Nature Regulation 1655/2000 agreed in 2002.
	Projects to co-finance under Life Nature (2003)—support for Commission proposals for co-funding of projects under the Life-Nature Regulation 1655/2000 agreed in 2003.
	Monitoring.*
	Large Carnivores.*
	Communication issues.*
	Nature Directors' Meetings.*
	Decisions taken against each item have been listed. Those items marked with a * were presented for information only.
	Decisions made by the Comitology committees are not routinely deposited for scrutiny under established scrutiny procedures, unless they are politically significant.
	Together with Member States, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". The Working Group on the Friends of Comitology is meeting later this month to discuss proposals for interim reform.
	As an obligation to this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of the committee. The second report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003 ref 5060/03, COM(03)733.
	As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

Fallen Stock

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures will be put in place for removing fallen stock from farms.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government are currently considering whether a national scheme for fallen stock is viable and will be making an announcement about this shortly.
	In the meantime, the Fallen Stock helpline on 0845 8507070 can give advice to farmers on collection services in their area to enable them to dispose of their fallen stock now.

Fallen Stock

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many responses to the questionnaire on the proposed National Fallen Stock Disposal Scheme were (a) in favour and (b) against; in what publications the deadline estimates of 7 and 28 May were notified; how individual farmers with more than one livestock holding were notified that they could cast a vote for each holding; how many eligible farmers and livestock holdings there are; how those not voting were classified; and on what basis the 50 per cent. threshold was set. [R]

Ben Bradshaw: A total of 105,404 letters were sent to livestock holdings on which we had information that livestock were present from their latest census return. By 30 May we had received 36,249 responses from farmers in England to the questionnaire, of which 32,489 expressed an interest in joining the scheme, 1,833 stated that they were not interested due to cost, and 1,927 stated they would be making other arrangements. No reply was received to 69,155 letters. These numbers exclude responses where farmers said they no longer had livestock or where the letter was returned by the Post Office as gone away.
	The letter made clear that the proposed scheme was on a payment per holding basis. Complete information on the number of eligible farmers (some of whom may have more than one holding) is not available. However, we have made some estimates where we have information about farmers with multiple holdings who only sent one reply. Where such a reply expressed an interest in joining the scheme we have adjusted the figures to show other holdings owned by the same farmer to a 'yes' response. This increases the 'yes' figure from 32,489 to 33,864.
	The deadlines for responses were published in Defra News Releases, News releases issued by the NFU, adverts were placed in the farming press and a number of news items publicising the deadlines also appeared in the farming press.
	The 50 per cent. threshold was set on the basis of estimates about the funds that this level of participation in a scheme would raise and which, when taken with the government contribution, would allow the scheme to operate in a way that was financially viable.

Agricultural Subsidies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the issue of farm subsidies within the world trade negotiations in Mexico.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government considers it vital that WTO members deliver on the Doha commitment to fundamental reform of agricultural subsidies. The EU's decision last month to reform the Common Agricultural Policy is a major step toward achieving this objective and we urge our trading partners to be prepared to respond in the most positive manner so that a successful outcome can be negotiated at the ministerial meeting in Mexico.

Hunting with Dogs

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the police over the implementation of a possible ban on hunting with dogs.

Alun Michael: During the period of consultation announced in my statement to the House of Commons on 21 March 2001 and subsequently during the preparation of the proposals set out in the Hunting Bill I discussed the issues with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Superintendents Association and the Police Federation. I also discussed my proposals with a number of individual senior police officers. Immediately after the discussions of the House on 30 June I had a further discussion with Mr. Alistair McWhirter who is rural policy spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers and I spoke to him again when it became clear that his views and those of ACPO had been misrepresented in some Press and Media reports.
	During the debate on 9 July, Official Report, column 1281, I spelt out for the House the legislative and policing implications of the amendments to the Bill in terms that had been agreed with Mr. McWhirter and the ACPO as well as the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Ministerial Colleagues at the Home Office.

Information Technology

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what major IT projects with a value in excess of £10,000 she authorised expenditure on in each of the last three financial years.

Alun Michael: Defra was established as a new Department in June 2001. A table showing the major authorised IT projects with a total project cost exceeding £10,000 undertaken since that date, has been placed in the Library of the House. The word 'authorised' has been interpreted to mean having an approved business case. Information provided relates to the core Department only.

Landfill

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she will take to ensure that the provisions of the Landfill Directive to ban the disposal of whole tyres in landfill sites from 16 July 2003 are enforced by the Environment Agency; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency is well aware of its regulatory and enforcement responsibilities in this and other environmental areas and will carry these out to the best of its ability.
	Under the Landfill Directive, the ban on landfilling tyres comes into effect on 16 July 2003 in respect of new landfill sites or for hazardous waste landfill sites. For existing non-hazardous waste landfill sites, the ban comes into force as and when each site is permitted under landfill/pollution prevention and control legislation.

Milk

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with supermarkets on the price of milk paid to dairy farmers.

Ben Bradshaw: The prices negotiated between retailers and processors or processors and producers are a private commercial matter. We have therefore had no discussion with the supermarkets on this point.

Power Stations

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the load factor was in each year from 1999, of each power station without flue gas desulphurisation equipment fitted; and on what date a BATNEEC application to allow the loading to exceed forty per cent. was (a) submitted, (b) agreed and (c) rejected in each applicable case.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 4 July 2003
	Operators of large coal and oil fired power stations are regulated by the Environment Agency ("the Agency") through a system of authorisation under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Conditions are set in authorisations to ensure environmental protection and include emission limits with which operators must comply.
	In 1999 a review of the conditions contained in the authorisations was carried out by the Agency to secure further reductions in sulphur dioxide emissions, and to achieve a 50 per cent. reduction by 2005 of the 1999 emission limits. In order to achieve this reduction, the Agency introduced conditions in the authorisations to encourage the building and operation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation ("FGD") equipment. The Agency formed the view that if a power station were to operate above a load factor of 40 per cent. then it would become economically viable to fit FGD equipment. Conditions were included in the authorisations whereby operators that did not have FGD equipment fitted, were required to submit a Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Cost ('BATNEEC') justification if they wanted to continue operating after September 2001 at a load factor exceeding 40 per cent. The justifications were received in May and June 2000, as listed in the table to this answer.
	The exercise coincided with the introduction of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (or "NETA"). It was recognised that the NETA could alter the market structure of the sector, and that such change could have significant repercussions for the BATNEEC considerations. Because of this economic uncertainty, the Agency did not, at that time, formally accept or reject the BATNEEC cases.
	As NETA is now established, the BATNEEC cases made in 2000 are being reviewed. This may lead to a modification of the authorisations of those plant that are operated at high load factors without FGD equipment. This exercise will form part of a wider review of the performance of the coal fired power stations and will take into account further commitments by operators to fit FGD equipment and the requirements under the revised EU Directive concerning Large Combustion Plant.
	Operators are not required to report load factors so that information is not available.
	
		Power stations that submitted 'BATNEEC' justification for operating above a 40 per cent. load factor without Flue Gas Desulphurisation abatement
		
			 Operator(3) Site Date of justification 
		
		
			 AEP Ferrybridge June 2000 
			  Fiddler's Ferry  
			 Innogy Aberthaw June 2000 
			  Didcot  
			  Tilbury  
			 London Power Cottam May 2000 
			 PowerGen Drakelow May 2000 
			  Grain  
			  High Marnham  
			  Ironbridge  
			  Kingsnorth  
			 International Power Rugeley May 2000 
		
	
	(3) Current operator, may differ to that in 2000
	Source:
	Environment Agency

Private Sewers

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to address the maintenance problems faced by the owners of existing private sewers;
	(2)  whether she plans to amend section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to make it compulsory for sewerage undertakers to adopt existing private sewers;
	(3)  what plans she has to assist owners of private sewers with maintenance costs before the implementation of new legislation;
	(4)  what the time-scale is for changes to the legislation on existing private sewers;
	(5)  if she will make it her policy to ensure that the owners of private sewers do not bear sole responsibility for paying for the maintenance of such sewers.

Elliot Morley: The Department has commissioned research into the extent and condition of private sewers in England and Wales. The problems arising from the current arrangements for existing private sewers have been examined, especially with regard to their ownership and maintenance.
	A public consultation paper seeking views on possible options for addressing these problems was published on 1 July this year. The consultation period extends until 26 September 2003. We will need to review responses to the consultation before reaching a view on what action might follow.

Radioactive Waste

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress in establishing a committee on Radioactive Waste Management.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 2 July 2003
	I have today, along with the Environment Ministers for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, appointed Katharine Bryan as Chair of the new Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, CoRWM. Her task will be to lead CoRWM in recommending how the UK should manage its most highly radioactive waste and keep it safe for many thousands of years. Together, we shall receive CoRWM's recommendations, and around 2006, we shall decide how these should be implemented to secure the best outcome for the UK as a whole.
	In September 2001, we invited comments on our proposed programme, Managing Radioactive Waste Safely. As we said, a substantial legacy of solid radioactive waste is being stored, awaiting a decision on how best to manage it for many thousands of years while radioactivity falls to safe levels. Even if no new nuclear plants are built, around 500,000 tonnes of waste will arise over the next century as existing plants are shut down and cleaned up. We proposed a rigorous and public review of alternative options, including underground disposal and surface storage. We proposed a new independent body to advise us when enough information had been gathered to decide the best option or combination of options. There was general support for this approach.
	We advertised for CoRWM in March 2003. We received over 400 applications. We have begun by appointing the Chair who will help us identify the best team. We shall now interview and appoint the remaining members so that CoRWM is up and running by October 2003.
	CoRWM's terms of reference require it, among other things, to aim to make its recommendations no later than the end of 2005; to prepare a work programme that will enable it to do this; to send this to us for agreement at an early stage; to meet us every six months; and to make an annual progress report which we can place before Parliament. Its review of options must be carried out in an open, transparent and inclusive manner; to inspire public confidence in the way in which it works, in order to secure such confidence in its eventual recommendations; and so to ensure the long-term safety of the UK's radioactive wastes.
	I am confident that Katharine will lead the Committee and the review very effectively. I shall make an announcement when the rest of CoRWM is appointed and it is ready to start work. With this important step forward in the process for deciding future policy for the long-term management of the UK's radioactive waste, Government have been giving consideration to the future of United Kingdom Nirex Ltd. (Nirex). As well as undertaking important work on standards for the conditioning and packagng of radioactive waste, the company has extensive knowledge of some of the potential options for radioative waste mangement to be considered by CoRWM.
	It is very important that Nirex stands ready, along with others, to help CoRWM reach its view and inform policy decisions. It is important also that the company can do this from a position where it is, and can be seen to be, independent of industry. The Government will consult Nirex shareholders on the best way of making Nirex independent of industry and under greater Government control, and our aim is to establish and announce the appropriate way forward by autumn of this year.

Rural Enterprise Scheme

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Rural Enterprise Scheme grants have been approved by the South West Regional Appraisal Panel of the Rural Development Service in each of the last three years; and what the average amount given was.

Alun Michael: The South West Regional Appraisal Panel of the Rural Development Service has approved 112 Rural Enterprise Scheme grants in the last three full financial years. This can be broken down by year as follows.
	
		
			 Financial year(April to March) Number of schemes approved Total grant offered (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 5 178,483 
			 2001–02 47 2,656,604 
			 2002–03 60 3,914,858 
			 Total 112 6,749,945 
		
	
	The average amount of grant awarded per scheme is £60,267.

Rural Enterprise Scheme

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how farmers applying for assistance from the Rural Enterprise Scheme in the south-west region may obtain details of the South West Regional Appraisal Panel's deliberations and reasons for refusing an application.

Alun Michael: All unsuccessful applicants are notified in writing with the Regional Appraisal Panel's decision and reason(s) for refusal.
	A summary of a project technical appraisal can be obtained by all the applicants on request in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Such a summary would not contain any information on third persons e.g. comparisons between an application under assessment and any similar application that may already have received an award.
	In addition, applicants can request a summary of the key points of the Panel's consideration of the project.

Rural Enterprise Scheme

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the criteria are for receiving funding from the Rural Enterprise Scheme; and what budget has been allocated to the south-west region under this scheme in the next financial year.

Alun Michael: The Rural Enterprise Scheme is aimed at producing sustainable outputs which contribute to the Strategy for Sustainable Food and Farming, the wider rural economy and thriving rural communities. It operates on a selective basis by supporting good quality individual projects which will contribute to these aims, in line with regional priorities and objectives that have been agreed in consultation with local stakeholders.
	The scheme is administered by Defra's Rural Development Service on a regional basis. Applications for funding are assessed against the following criteria:
	the need for the project;
	clearly identified objectives, milestones and targets;
	the sustainability of the project (economic impact, environmental impact and social impact);
	the degree to which the project will produce desirable outputs that contribute to the scheme's key policy themes and priorities;
	financial viability;
	need for public funds;
	project management and delivery;
	risk assessment and sensitivity analysis; and
	how well the project fits the region's needs and priorities.
	Explanations of these criteria, and the need for them to be addressed in a suitable business plan, are set out in the scheme literature.
	A Regional Appraisal Panel determines which projects should be supported based upon the individual qualitative assessments and taking account of the scheme's wider objectives, the quality of other competing projects, and the funds available.
	The Rural Enterprise Scheme budget allocated to the south-west region for the 2003–04 financial year is £4.045 million, with £5.965 million currently budgeted for 2004–05.

Waste Management

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings she has had with representatives of the waste management industry to discuss private finance initiative for waste management contracts.

Elliot Morley: Neither the Secretary of State nor other Defra ministers have met the waste management industry specifically to discuss private finance initiative for waste management contracts. I hope to meet a number of key stakeholders on waste issues in the coming months on a range of waste issues.

Water Industry

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long it took to plan and provide a new reservoir in the UK, on average, over the last 30 years.

Elliot Morley: Four major public water supply reservoirs have been constructed in the past 30 years: Carsington, Roadford, Rutland and Kielder. These took between 19–25 years from initial investigations until completion, with an average overall time of 21 years.

Water Industry

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of total water leakage in England is caused by Thames Water.

Elliot Morley: In 2001–02 Thames Water accounted for around 25 per cent. of all water leakage in England and Wales. Water company leakage data is published annually by the Director General of Water Services in the 'Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water' reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Levels of leakage for 2002–03 will be published at the end of this month.

WALES

Tourism

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of the public visited (a) Cardiff Castle and (b) Caerphilly Castle in 2001–02.

Don Touhig: Wales Tourist Board figures for the calendar years 2001 and 2002 are as follows.
	
		Wales tourist board figures
		
			  2001 2002 
		
		
			 Cardiff Castle 169,709 202,560 
			 Caerphilly Castle 78,653 81,758

Civil Servants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 or over.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office is staffed entirely by people on loan or secondment from other Departments. It is thus normally the case that new entrants to the civil service will have served for a period in their home department before coming to the Wales Office.

Departmental Staff

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) special advisers, (b) press officers, (c) civil servants, (d) advisers to civil servants and (e) permanent staff were working for the Wales Office in each year since 1996.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was created on 1 July 1999.
	(a) Until 12 June 2003 the Secretary of State for Wales had two special advisers, since then he has had one.
	(b) Since its inception the Wales Office has had a complement of three press officers (there has also been one three-month inward secondment for training purposes).
	(c) and (e) figures are published each year in the Departmental Report, the most recent of which was published in May 2003 as Cm 5928.
	(d) None.

Energy Efficiency

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what targets his Department has for improving energy efficiency; and how he intends to achieve these targets.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 580W.

Energy Efficiency

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement, in relation to his Department, on (a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures, (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years.

Don Touhig: The small size of the Wales Office means that it is not autonomous on energy consumption and so meaningful figures are not readily available.
	The Government's policy on energy efficiency in its own estate was described in the Energy White paper "Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy".

Euro

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when he expects to complete his analysis of the documents; and what representations (a) he and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests.

Peter Hain: The Treasury's 18 supporting studies on EMU were sent to Cabinet Ministers on 16 May 2003. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Chancellor held meetings with Cabinet Members. There was an initial discussion at Cabinet on 22 May 2003, followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5 June 2003. The Chancellor made a statement to the House of Commons on 9 June 2003.

European Constitution

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European constitution.

Peter Hain: I have had regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Gwydwr House (Disabled Access)

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations his Department has received from disabled people about plans for a new access to Gwydwr House.

Don Touhig: None.

IT Contracts

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many outsourced IT contracts have been signed by his Department in each year since 1997; how much each of these contracts is worth; with whom they are signed; how many have been renegotiated; how many are still in place; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave the hon. Member for Teignbridge (Richard Younger-Ross) on 11 February 2002, Official Report, column 43W.

Mobile Phones

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was created in July 1999. Information is not available before April 2000. Since that date expenditure has been:
	2000–01—£7,546
	2001–02—£6,266
	2002–03—£6,472
	April–June 2003—£1,832

Official Spelling

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that official (a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the English spelling of words where this differs from the US version.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office complies with the guidance issued by the Cabinet Office on the handling of ministerial and other correspondence and the use of plain written English.

Partnership Agreement

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he plans to conclude a partnership agreement with the trade unions representing the staff in his Department.

Don Touhig: Staff working in the Wales Office are all on secondment or loan from other Government Departments and so it would be more appropriate for any partnership agreement to be with the home departments rather than the Wales Office.

Steel Industry

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on the future of the steel industry in Wales.

Peter Hain: I have regular meetings with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales and discuss a wide range of issues including the steel industry in Wales.
	Latest developments for the steel industry in Wales are encouraging. For example, Corus recently announced investment into its "Living Solutions plant" at Shotton, which is expected to create up to 200 jobs.
	Corus also recently announced a major three year contract with Associated British Ports (ABP) to ship finished steel coils world-wide from its Swansea and Newport operations. This comes with an investment of £800,000 from ABP for a new 37 ton capacity crane.
	Additionally, Celsa recently announced that they expect to increase production output beyond that of the former Allied Steel and Wire Holdings Group plc plant in Cardiff. This will be a gradual build up from Celsa restarting production operations next month, with full roll-out of its operations at the end of this year. Celsa will employ a direct workforce of 400, with a further 200 subcontracted.
	I welcome these very positive developments for an industry that has had more than its share of difficult times.

Written Ministerial Statements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Wales Office since 29 October 2002.

Don Touhig: Three:
	Wales Departmental Expenditure (28.02.03)
	Public Sector Ombudsman Service (Wales) (11.03.03)
	Public Audit (Wales) Bill (01.04.03)

PRIME MINISTER

Access to Government Information

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister whether he was consulted over the decision by the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor and the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to issue a notice on 23 June under section 11(3) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration regarding a complaint under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to ministerial conflicts of interests.

Tony Blair: The work of the Ombudsman is important, and the Government are working with the Ombudsman to develop a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation between the Ombudsman's office and Government Departments.
	Information relating to internal discussion and consultation on the issue of a notice under section 11(3) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 is not disclosed under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Defence and Overseas Policy Committee

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to provide the number of occasions the Cabinet Defence and Overseas Policy Committee met between 9 September 2002 and 18 March 2003.

Tony Blair: There was no meeting of the Cabinet Defence and Overseas Policy Committee during this period. However, as I told the Liaison Committee on 8 July, the reason why this was not necessary was that Iraq appeared on the agenda of Cabinet as early as March 2002. From 23 September 2002 until after the conflict, Iraq was discussed at every regular Cabinet meeting.
	Additionally, during the course of the conflict, an ad hoc group of Ministers, which I chaired, met 28 times. The membership of the group was the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Secretary of State for International Development, the Leader of the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Attorney General.

Israel

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether he raised the continued imprisonment of Mordecai Vanunu during his meeting with his Israeli counterpart during his visit to London in July.

Tony Blair: The priority for the visit was to discuss road map implementation and bilateral relations.
	The Government have raised concerns about the conditions of Mr. Vanunu's imprisonment with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following his latest parole hearing the Israeli authorities decided against his early release. Our embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to monitor his case.

Israel

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what matters in respect of Israeli possession of nuclear weapons he raised with his Israeli counterpart during his visit this month.

Tony Blair: The priority for the visit was to discuss road map implementation and bilateral relations.
	The Government consistently urge Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non nuclear weapons state, and to sign a full-scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), most recently during official-level talks in Tel Aviv on 5 March. Under the agreement with IAEA, Israel's nuclear facilities would be subject to regular inspection to detect and eliminate any diversion of nuclear materials for weapons production. The UK has consistently supported UN resolutions calling for the establishment of a middle east zone free of weapons of mass destruction. That zone would include Israel.

JIC Access(Director of Communications and Strategy)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister to what level of clearance Mr. Alastair Campbell has been vetted for access to Joint Intelligence Committee material.

Tony Blair: Alastair Campbell has been cleared in the same way as other Downing street officials, whose roles may include seeing intelligence material.

Lord Levy

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister when Lord Levy has met Bill Burns, the Assistant Secretary of State in the United States State Department, while acting as his envoy; and where each of these meetings took place.

Tony Blair: In his capacity as the Prime Minister's envoy, Lord Levy has met Assistant Secretary of State Bill Burns, including on 19 July 2001, 10 January, 11 March and 2 July 2002. All these meetings took place in London. Both men were also present at a London meeting on Palestinian reform on 14 January 2003.

Ministerial Meetings

Joyce Quin: To ask the Prime Minister what recent meetings he has held jointly with the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament and the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations, it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings, under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Mobile Phones

Howard Flight: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) gave him on 15 July 2003, Official Report, columns 164–65W.

Overseas Visits

James Plaskitt: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list (a) Government expenditure on ministerial overseas visits for the financial years 1996–97 to 2002–03 and (b) all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003, including the (i) cost, (ii) destination and (iii) purpose of each visit.

Tony Blair: Expenditure on Ministerial overseas visits for the period requested is estimated as follows:
	
		Expenditure on ministerial overseas visits -- £ million
		
			 Year Expenditure 
		
		
			 1996–97 7.9 
			 1997–98(4) 6.4 
			 1998–99 4.9 
			 1999–2000 4.6 
			 2000–01 4.7 
			 2001–02 5.6 
			 2002–03 5.7  
		
	
	(4) 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1998
	The figure for 2002–03 reflects payments made so far for travel undertaken in this period; a few bills have yet to be submitted to Departments for payment.
	A list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the costs of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate.

Special Advisers

Geraint Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost of the paybill for special advisers was in 2002–03; and how many special advisers there are in each pay band, broken down by Department.

Tony Blair: The pay bands and pay ranges for special advisers for 2003–04 are as follows:
	
		£
		
			 Pay band Pay range 
		
		
			 Scheme maximum 131,008 
			 4 78,606 to 94,326 
			 3 and Premium 58,693 to 91,181 
			 2 46,116 to 60,278 
			 1 35,635 to 47,362 
			 0 Up to 35,634 
		
	
	At 14 July 2003, the number of special advisers in each pay band by Department is as follows:
	
		Special advisers
		
			  Pay band 
			 Department 0 1 2 3 4 
		
		
			 No 10 (5) — 5 6 11 2 
			 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister — — (6)2 1 — 
			 Chief Whips' Offices (Commons and Lords) — 1 2 — — 
			 Constitutional Affairs — — — — 1 
			 Culture, Media and Sport — — — 1 — 
			 Defence (7) — — 2 — — 
			 Education and Skills — — 1 1 — 
			 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — 1 1 — — 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office — — — 2 — 
			 Health — — 2 1 — 
			 Home Office — — (6)4 — — 
			 International Development (7) — 1 — — — 
			 Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords — (8)1 — — — 
			 Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons(9) — 2 — — — 
			 Northern Ireland Office — — 1 — — 
			 Secretary of State for Wales — 1 — — — 
			 Trade and Industry (10) — 1 1 1 — 
			 HM Treasury (11),(12) — 1 1 1 1 
			 Transport (7) — — 1 1 — 
			 Work and Pensions — — 2 — — 
			 Minister without Portfolio (9) — 2 — — — 
			   
			 Total — 16 26 19 4 
		
	
	(5) Plus two special advisers who are paid beyond Pay Band 4 but within the scheme maximum.
	(6) Includes one part-time adviser.
	(7) Includes one special adviser under their provisional pay band whose job has not yet been evaluated.
	(8) Appointed by the Lord President on a part-time basis. Also works part-time to the Home Secretary providing cover for a special adviser who is on maternity leave.
	(9) Includes two special advisers under their provisional pay bands whose jobs have not yet been evaluated.
	(10) Plus one adviser who is part-time and unpaid.
	(11) Includes the Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury.
	(12) Plus the five members of the Council of Economic Advisers who are employed on special adviser terms (two in Band 4, two in Band 3 and one in Band 1—one is part-time).
	The cost of special advisers in 2002–03 is £5.4 million.
	This figure includes salary, severance pay and an estimate of pensions costs.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government's assessment is of the progress made in Afghanistan on civil service reform; what assistance his Department is giving Afghanistan in this respect; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: An effective public administration is essential to the process of reconstruction in Afghanistan. DFID has been an important source of assistance to the Afghanistan Transitional Administration (ATA) as it has sought to re-establish the basic functions of government. We are supporting capacity building within institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank, and Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission. Other donors such as the World Bank are helping in areas such as procurement and audit. Achievements have included the introduction of a new currency, development of a national development framework, and of a payments and payroll system and implementation of measures to maximise revenue collection. But much remains to be done, and after twenty years of upheaval, there are no short-cuts to rebuilding Afghanistan's public administration. President Karzai recently issued a "Priority Reform and Restructuring" decree (executive legislation) that will allow further urgent reforms to take place in up to twenty Government Departments. These reforms will be supported by DFID and the World Bank.

Departmental Staff

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many staff of his Department were redeployed out of London and the South East in the last five years.

Hilary Benn: Under a relocation programme approximately 40 Civil Service posts from our London Headquarters were redeployed to our East Kilbride Headquarters over the period 1998–2001. Staff were not required to move with the posts.

European Constitution

John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what discussions she has had with (a) colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) counterparts in the European Union about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European Constitution.

Hilary Benn: As part of the normal Whitehall process, I and my officials have had regular correspondence with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss all aspects of the Convention, including legislative competencies. We have also had regular contact with member and accession states to discuss issues arising in the Convention. In line with exemptions 1 and 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not the normal practice of Governments to disclose details about internal discussions, or information whose disclosure would harm the conduct of international relations or affairs.

Iraq

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assistance the Department is giving to the World Food Programme's work in Basra.

Hilary Benn: Since the start of the present crisis, DFID has contributed £33 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) for its work throughout Iraq, including Basra. DFID support has been earmarked for food delivery, logistical support and the provision of a United Nations humanitarian air service. It is not allocated by region within Iraq.
	Iraq's public distribution system for food aid was restarted on 1 June. WFP estimates that by the end of the June distribution cycle, rations has been provided to about 26 million Iraqis, which is 95 per cent. of the target population.

Iraq

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assistance the Department has given to the re-establishment of (a) the electrical power system, (b) the legal system, (c) a police force and (d) a banking system in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: DFID has provided over £7 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assist in the restoration of electricity supplies in Iraq. The work undertaken has included needs assessments, repairs to generation and transmission plant, equipment for maintenance crews, equipment for a hospital and for water pumping and purification plants, and lighting for Umm Qasr port.
	The Government have seconded police advisers to the Coalition Provisional Authority to contribute to the development of policing in Iraq, and advisers to the Justice Ministry to assist in prison reform and undertake a general review of the judicial system. 31,000 police officers have reported back to work, and courts and prisons have begun operating again.
	The Government have not provided assistance for the banking sector. The Coalition Provisional Authority has, however, been working to help restore the banking system, and many banks are now open.
	To date, DFID has committed £155 million towards humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in the current crisis. Further assistance will be considered in view of emerging needs and the outcome of social and economic needs assessments being undertaken by the World bank, the IMF and United Nations agencies.

Iraq

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development which NGOs have approached the Department wishing to provide assistance for (a) the restructuring of Iraq and (b) humanitarian aid in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: DFID has had regular discussions with NGOs since before the conflict in Iraq started. We have only sought proposals from NGOs for preparedness and short quick impact projects to address immediate humanitarian needs. At least 34 different NGOs have submitted proposals, and we have selected 18 projects for funding
	We have not yet considered longer term NGO proposals for restructuring. Our assistance for longer term reconstruction work will be considered in view of the outcome of social and economic needs assessments being carried out by the World bank, the IMF and United Nations agencies, and a donor conference due to be held in October.

Mobile Phones

Howard Flight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: The cost of equipment, the call charges and line rental for mobile phones and car phones for Ministers and staff working for Ministers in the top management group in DFID are only available from 1999. The costs are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000 8,249 
			 2000–01 7,569 
			 2001–02 7,455 
			 2002–03 6,491 
		
	
	Details of mobile phone costs supplied to other officials are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Family Planning/Reproductive Health

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what percentage of Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) funding was spent on family planning and reproductive health in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total funding in this sector was.

Hilary Benn: DFID supports country Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) as a way to strengthen the social sector, pooling its financial resources with those of other donor agencies within the Government's overall budget. PRSs aim to coordinate Government led action with broad based participation, focused on delivering agreed outcomes. They also provide the basis for long-term strategy and sustained investment. We work through sector wide approaches and direct budget support as ways of supporting countries' PRSs.
	The most recent data available from our information systems shows that in the financial year 2002–03, out of a total of £96 million spent by DFID on sector wide approaches, £31 million (32 per cent.) was spent on programmes that had reproductive health services as one of their target objectives. Our data systems do not allow us to identify specific expenditure on reproductive health services in previous years but recent changes will allow us to do so in future.
	The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has an important role to play in tracking overall resources devoted to reproductive health. We are working across the board to strengthen countries' own systems for reporting against their poverty reduction targets and progress towards the millennium development goals, including through the UN Millennium Project. This includes reporting on reproductive health gains as a factor in improving health overall.
	DFID's bilateral spending on reproductive health, including on HIV/AIDS, in 2002–03 was £270 million, up from around £40 million in 1997–98.

Sustainable Development/Poverty Reduction

Syd Rapson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what impact integrated frameworks have had on (a) sustainable development and (b) poverty reduction in the developing countries in which they have been promoted.

Hilary Benn: The Integrated Framework began, in its present form, in July 2000.
	The pilot ran in three countries and the process has been rolled out to a further eleven least developed countries. An evaluation of the Integrated Framework is currently taking place and a report will be presented to the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun in September. The objectives of the evaluation include an assessment of the impact of the integrated framework in linking trade, development and poverty and the integration of trade into development plans and poverty reduction strategies.

Written Ministerial Statements

John Bercow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Department since 29 October 2002.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has made 17 Written Ministerial Statements since 29 October 2002.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC Parliament

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 5 November 2002, Official Report, column 194W, when the BBC will convert its quarter-screen service for the parliamentary channel to the full screen version envisaged in its original bid.

Estelle Morris: The BBC has no plans to offer its BBC Parliament in full-screen. I understand that it did not, as part of its bid to the Independent Television Commission for the former ITV Digital Multiplex B, make a commitment to broadcast BBC Parliament in this way.
	In its application for some of the ex-ITV Digital capacity, the Corporation proposed a change in transmission mode which improved the reliability of reception for many DTT viewers but at the cost of reducing capacity overall. This left insufficient capacity to offer a full-screen BBC Parliament service. However, sufficient capacity was available for the BBC to propose, as part of Freeview, an improved version of BBC Parliament with quarter-screen pictures and accompanying context-specific text.

Community Fund (Havering)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the latest awards granted by the Community Fund to projects in the London borough of Havering.

Estelle Morris: Since April 2002, the Community Fund has awarded six grants to organisations based in the London borough of Havering, totalling £627,526.

Consultation Documents

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the consultation documents issued by her Department in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and how many responses were received in each consultation.

Richard Caborn: The Government recommend that policy development should be done in close consultation with stakeholders. Formal consultation documents are only one part of this process, which includes:
	Stakeholder meetings
	Listening events/public meetings
	Web forums
	Public surveys
	Focus groups
	Regional events
	Free-phone and freepost surveys and events
	Targeted leaflet campaigns
	Road shows and exhibitions.
	It is standard practice for departments to evaluate the policy development process, including the use of consultation.
	Information on Departmental consultations from 2001 to date is as follows:
	
		
			 Title Date 
		
		
			 National Gallery/National Portrait Gallery Review: stage one consultation January 2001 
			 National Heritage Memorial Fund Review: stage one consultation April 2001 
			 BBC Application to Launch BBC3 April 2001 
			 Report of the Gambling Review Body July 2001 
			 National Museum of Science and Industry Review: stage one consultation August 2001 
			 Geffrye Museum/Horniman Museum/Museum of London Review: stage one consultation August 2001 
			 Consultation on the draft Digital Television Action Plan October 2001 
			 English Heritage Review: stage one consultation October 2001 
			 Public Lending Right. Quinquennial Performance Review: Consultation Paper November 2001 
			 Quinquennial Review on the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art November 2001 
			 National Maritime Museum Quinquennial Performance Review November 2001 
			 Consultation on Media Ownership Rules November 2001 
			 Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester: Quinquennial Performance Review December 2001 
			 Spectrum Planning Consultation December 2001 
			 Council of Europe—Convention on the Protection of Audiovisual Heritage December 2001 
			 Review of Progress toward digital switchover February 2002 
			 Regent's Park Sports Facilities Consultations March 2002 
			 UK's Open General Export Licensing (OGEL) Limits April 2002 
			 Changes to Licensing Houses during All New Year's Eve April 2002 
			 The Draft Communications Bill May 2002 
			 Prize Competitions May 2002 
			 National Lottery Licensing and Regulation Consultation June 2002 
			 Review of Lottery Funding: a consultation on Lottery Distribution Policy July 2002 
			 Children's Play review December 2002 
			 Export Controls on Objects of Cultural Interest January 2003 
			 Review of Lottery Funding February 2003 
		
	
	The remaining information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Policies (Pendle)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what policies (a) initiated and (b) managed by her Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The principal funding to Pendle from policies initiated and managed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport since 2001 is listed as follows.
	l. Since 2001, Pendle has received 58 awards from the National Lottery 1 , with a total value of £3,501,882:
	1 Some of the funding will have been allocated under policies which were agreed prior to 2001.
	
		2001
		
			 Distributing body Number of grants Total amount awarded (£) 
		
		
			 Heritage Lottery Fund 2 53,690 
			 Community Fund 6 724,192 
			 Sport England 6 100,861 
			 Arts Council of England 1 16,500 
			 New Opportunities Fund 1 4,600 
			 Total 16 899,843 
		
	
	
		2002
		
			 Distributing body Number of grants Total amount awarded (£) 
		
		
			 Heritage Lottery Fund 1 996,000 
			 Community Fund 2 6000 
			 Sport England 2 7,184 
			 Arts Council of England 1 2,800 
			 New Opportunities Fund 1 599,350 
			 Awards For All (England) Joint Scheme 16 57,762 
			 Total 23 1,669,096 
		
	
	
		2003
		
			 Distributing body Number of grants Total amount awarded (£) 
		
		
			 Community Fund 1 221,220 
			 New Opportunities Fund 5 657,613 
			 Awards For All (England) Joint Scheme 13 54,110 
			 Total 19 932,943 
		
	
	2. Exchequer Funding 2
	2 The grants from Sport England, Arts Council North West and English Heritage are to Pendle only. A large number of other grants will have had an impact on Pendle but will have been given to organisations based outside the constituency.
	
		
			 Body Number of grants Amount given to Pendle January 2001–03 
		
		
			 Sport England 1 30,000 (£10,000 per year for 3 years to August 2004) for a Community Sport Development Office 
			
			 Arts Council North West 1 £12,000 per year for 3 years—2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 for an Arts Development Officer Post 
			
			 English Heritage 6 2001–02—£250,941 
			  3 2002–03—£118,501 for various Heritage schemes 
		
	
	3. The Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund are to deliver £176 million to 77 disadvantaged areas that have not had their fair share of Lottery funds. Pendle has been identified as one of the areas that will benefit under this fair share initiative, with a financial target for 2002–05 of £1,297,447.
	4. Creative Partnerships is DCMS' and Arts Council England's flagship programme in the cultural education field. The aim is to give school children aged 5–18 and their teachers the opportunity to explore their creativity by working on sustained projects with creative professionals. In June 2003, Ministers announced that the Creative Partnerships would be extended to 20 new areas. East Lancashire, including Pendle, will be one of the new areas in Phase 3 of the scheme, which will begin in April 2004, with activity in schools from September 2005.

Iraq

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to post-war reconstruction of Iraq.

Tessa Jowell: My Department has recently taken a number of measures to assist the Iraqis to protect and conserve their Cultural heritage. Two officials from my Department have been working closely in Iraq with Ambassador Cordone, Head of Cultural Affairs at the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Their priority has been to re-establish the Culture Ministry as soon as possible and a Culture Cabinet of six Iraqis was formed in May. DCMS officials have helped prepare a budget for the Culture Ministry for 2003–04.
	My Department has created a database of offers of support from UK heritage bodies and others, and will follow up on these when we have a better picture of what specifically is needed in Iraq. It is in close touch with UNESCO, which is co-ordinating international help for the cultural sector in Iraq.

Lottery Distribution

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the fair share initiative in terms of its capacity to distribute National Lottery funds equitably.

Estelle Morris: I view the fair share initiative as an important tool in ensuring that those communities at greatest disadvantage do not lose out from Lottery funding. Since its launch in April 2002, 77 areas across the UK have been identified to be targeted under the initiative through three programmes operated by the Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund. Over 31 million has been distributed through the Community Fund's grants programmes targeted at fair share areas; grants of between 200,000 and 2.2 million have been committed under the New Opportunities Fund's fair share: Transforming Your Space programme; and a 50 million fair share Trust has been set up, to be delivered by the Community Foundation Network. Now that the building blocks of the three strands of funding are in place, I expect to see a steady increase in the flow of funding over the remaining two years of the initiative.

Olympic Bid

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the potential impact of hosting the Olympic Games on (a) the development of and (b) investment in grass roots sport in the UK.

Tessa Jowell: My Department has assessed the legacy of the Olympic Games for the development of, and investment in Grassroots sport using historical data, visits by Ministers to previous and future Olympic Cities, the joint DCMS and Strategy Unit report (Game Plan) and the details contained in the Arup report. Details of this analysis can be found in Annex 3, Evidence 51 to the Culture Select Committee report on A London Bid Olympic Bid for 2012, published on 23 January 2003.

Olympic Bid

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the environmental costs and benefits of the London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: The Arup report provided an initial evaluation, for a specimen Olympic Games, of the 18 themes of the IOC bid criteria required for the Candidature File. The 18 themes covered within the bid criteria include Environmental Protection and Meteorology. It will be for the Bid Company to ensure that the Candidature File, which must be submitted to the IOC in November 2004, properly addresses the environmental costs and benefits of a London bid.

Olympic Bid

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what systems will be put in place by the Government to ensure that environmental considerations are fully incorporated into the design of the London bid for the Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: The Bid Company for the London 2012 bid will be responsible for the delivery of a high quality and competitive bid. This includes the preparation of the key bidding documents, the Applicant Questionnaire in the first stage of bidding and the Candidature file required in the second phase of the bid process. Both stages of the Bidding procedure should demonstrate how the London bid will reflect the commitment of the Olympic Movement to sustainable development and endeavours to contribute to the protection of the natural environment. In discharging this responsibility we would expect the Bid Company to consult the relevant stakeholder interests.
	As one of the key stakeholders for the bid the Government will be required to sign-off both the Applicant Questionnaire and the Candidature file prior to submission to the IOC.

Sports Funding

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) World Class Performance, (b) World Class Potential and (c) World Class Start funding has been distributed by (i) UK Sport, (ii) Sport England, (iii) Sport Scotland, (iv) the Sports Council for Wales and (v) the Northern Ireland Sports Council in each year since 199697.

Richard Caborn: The actual distributions by UK Sport on World Class Performance programme are shown in the following table:
	
		
		
			  World Class Performance  
		
		
			 19992000 16,489,569 
			 200001 20,124,502 
			 200102 22,550,608 
			 200203 22,175,400 
		
	
	The figures for Sport England are:
	
		
		
			  World Class Performance World Class Potential World Class Start 
		
		
			 199798 12,599,203   
			 199899 27,366,285   
			 19992000 18,881,351 (14)1,487,219  
			 200001 (13)16,470,071   
			 200102 12,627,736 14,665,698 6,537,498 
			 200203 14,048,265 16,064,180 10,172,274 
		
	
	(13) This figure is a combination of World Class Performance, Potential and Start as separate figures are not available.
	(14) This figure is a combination of World Class Potential and Start as separate figures are not available
	Support for Sport in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved responsibility; questions should therefore be directed to each administration.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Area Cost Adjustment

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the impact of the Area Cost Adjustment on education funding.

David Miliband: The Area Cost Adjustment provides funding top-ups for areas where it costs more to recruit and retain staff. It uses the New Earnings Survey to calculate earnings differentials between different areas in the country. A threshold is set below which all authorities are given the same area cost adjustment factor. The area cost adjustment factors are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 LEA Area Cost Adjustment 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 1.0912 
			 Barnet 1.1447 
			 Barnsley 1.0000 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 1.0279 
			 Bedfordshire 1.0478 
			 Bexley 1.0912 
			 Birmingham 1.0272 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1.0000 
			 Blackpool 1.0000 
			 Bolton 1.0200 
			 Bournemouth 1.0000 
			 Bracknell Forest 1.1384 
			 Bradford 1.0099 
			 Brent 1.1447 
			 Brighton and Hove 1.0113 
			 Bromley 1.0912 
			 Buckinghamshire 1.0943 
			 Bury 1.0200 
			 Calderdale 1.0099 
			 Cambridgeshire 1.0427 
			 Camden 1.2624 
			 Cheshire 1.0215 
			 City of Bristol 1.0279 
			 City of Derby 1.0000 
			 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 1.0000 
			 City of London 1.4569 
			 City of Nottingham 1.0000 
			 City of Peterborough 1.0427 
			 City of Plymouth 1.0000 
			 Cornwall 1.0000 
			 Coventry 1.0272 
			 Croydon 1.0912 
			 Cumbria 1.0000 
			 Darlington 1.0000 
			 Derbyshire 1.0000 
			 Devon 1.0000 
			 Doncaster 1.0000 
			 Dorset 1.0000 
			 Dudley 1.0272 
			 Durham 1.0000 
			 Ealing 1.1447 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1.0000 
			 East Sussex 1.0113 
			 Enfield 1.0912 
			 Essex 1.0340 
			 Gateshead 1.0000 
			 Gloucestershire 1.0220 
			 Greenwich 1.2624 
			 Hackney 1.2624 
			 Halton 1.0215 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1.2624 
			 Hampshire 1.0361 
			 Haringey 1.0912 
			 Harrow 1.1447 
			 Hartlepool 1.0000 
			 Havering 1.0912 
			 Herefordshire 1.0000 
			 Hertfordshire 1.1034 
			 Hillingdon 1.1447 
			 Hounslow 1.1447 
			 Isle of Wight 1.0361 
			 Isles of Scilly 1.5000 
			 Islington 1.2624 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1.2624 
			 Kent 1.0327 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1.1447 
			 Kirklees 1.0099 
			 Knowsley 1.0116 
			 Lambeth 1.2624 
			 Lancashire 1.0000 
			 Leeds 1.0099 
			 Leicester City 1.0000 
			 Leicestershire 1.0000 
			 Lewisham 1.2624 
			 Lincolnshire 1.0000 
			 Liverpool 1.0116 
			 Luton 1.0478 
			 Manchester 1.0200 
			 Medway 1.0252 
			 Merton 1.1447 
			 Middlesbrough 1.0000 
			 Milton Keynes 1.0841 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1.0000 
			 Newham 1.0912 
			 Norfolk 1.0000 
			 North East Lincolnshire 1.0000 
			 North Lincolnshire 1.0000 
			 North Somerset 1.0279 
			 North Tyneside 1.0000 
			 North Yorkshire 1.0000 
			 Northamptonshire 1.0285 
			 Northumberland 1.0000 
			 Nottinghamshire 1.0000 
			 Oldham 1.0200 
			 Oxfordshire 1.0794 
			 Poole 1.0000 
			 Portsmouth 1.0361 
			 Reading 1.1252 
			 Redbridge 1.0912 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1.0000 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1.1447 
			 Rochdale 1.0200 
			 Rotherham 1.0000 
			 Rutland 1.0000 
			 Salford 1.0200 
			 Sandwell 1.0272 
			 Sefton 1.0116 
			 Sheffield 1.0000 
			 Shropshire 1.0000 
			 Slough 1.1384 
			 Solihull 1.0272 
			 Somerset 1.0000 
			 South Gloucestershire 1.0279 
			 South Tyneside 1.0000 
			 Southampton 1.0361 
			 Southend 1.0132 
			 Southwark 1.2624 
			 St Helens 1.0116 
			 Staffordshire 1.0000 
			 Stockport 1.0200 
			 Stockton on Tees 1.0000 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1.0000 
			 Suffolk 1.0000 
			 Sunderland 1.0000 
			 Surrey 1.1384 
			 Sutton 1.1447 
			 Swindon 1.0304 
			 Tameside 1.0200 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1.0000 
			 Thurrock 1.0760 
			 Torbay 1.0000 
			 Tower Hamlets 1.2624 
			 Trafford 1.0200 
			 Wakefield 1.0099 
			 Walsall 1.0272 
			 Waltham Forest 1.0912 
			 Wandsworth 1.2624 
			 Warrington 1.0215 
			 Warwickshire 1.0292 
			 West Berkshire 1.1252 
			 West Sussex 1.0477 
			 Westminster 1.2624 
			 Wigan 1.0200 
			 Wiltshire 1.0304 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1.1384 
			 Wirral 1.0116 
			 Wokingham 1.1252 
			 Wolverhampton 1.0272 
			 Worcestershire 1.0000 
			 York 1.0000

Asset Management Plan Survey

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will publish the results of the 2003 Asset Management Plan Survey.

David Miliband: holding answer 14 July 2003
	Allowing for late returns from some authorities, and for appraisal and analysis of the data, we plan to publish the results early in 2004.

Science Teachers

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the proposed National and Regional Centres for Excellence in Science Teaching will be required to provide in service training opportunities to enable practising teachers to develop their skills in out of classroom teaching in biology and other scientific disciplines.

Charles Clarke: Our plans, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, to establish a national network of science learning centres are progressing well. The national centre and up to nine regional centres will provide a range of continuing professional development opportunities for teachers of primary, secondary and post-16 science teachers, technicians and other support staff in the science classroom. We anticipate that, over time, the centres will help teachers to develop their skills in out of the classroom teaching.
	In addition, the Department's 'Growing Schools' initiative has worked with hundreds of schools to develop best practice in the use of the outdoor classroom for a range of curriculum subjects, including science at each key stage.

Vulnerable Children

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is issued to (a) local education authorities and (b) schools on supporting children from homeless families in priority need.

David Miliband: There has been no guidance issued from the Department for Education and Skills to local education authorities or schools specifically on supporting children from homeless families in priority need. We have, however, provided guidance to all local education authorities on use of the Vulnerable Children Grant, worth 84 million, which is to be used to help a range of groups of vulnerable children, some of whom may be homeless.
	We shall be setting out our future vision for children's services in the forthcoming Green Paper.

Citizenship

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the standards for citizenship are in respect of (a) assessment, (b) instruction, (c) pupil attainment and (d) academic content; and what the standards are for the other key stage four statutory subjects;
	(2)  if he will assess the effectiveness of teaching citizenship within existing personal, social and health education programmes
	(3)  if he will assess the extent to which schools (a) recognise the aims and purposes of citizenship as a statutory subject and (b) relate these to the broader aims of the school, as prescribed in the Ofsted report, National Curriculum: planning and implementation 200203;
	(4)  if he will make a statement on the progress of pupils' knowledge, understanding and skills in citizenship since it became a statutory subject.

Stephen Twigg: National Curriculum subjects, including citizenship education, have clear requirements for what must be taught and the standards of attainment at the end of each key stage (see www.nc.uk.net). A range of teaching and learning methods are described in the QCA schemes of work for citizenship (see www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes). Schools can adopt a range of approaches including discrete lessons; whole school activities; and teaching through existing subjects such as Personal, Social and Health education.
	Assessment and reporting arrangements are similar to other national curriculum subjects. Teachers must conduct pupil assessment at key stage 3 and report pupils progress in key stage 1 and 2 to parents. GCSE (Short Course) in Citizenship Studies has been developed to give pupils the opportunity to obtain a recognised qualification. QCA has developed guidance for schools on assessment (see www.qca.org.uk). It is a year since the introduction of citizenship as a statutory subject in secondary schools and pupils need time to develop the required knowledge, understanding and skills in the subject. The Department is committed to continuing to monitor the introduction of citizenship education, to provide schools and teachers with the additional support they may need. The Department has commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NfER) to conduct an eight year longitudinal study, to consider the impact of the subject on pupils' knowledge, understanding and skills in citizenship. It will also consider the impact on schools understanding of the aims of citizenship education and how they relate to wider school ethos and planning. The NfER longitudinal study and Ofsted section 10 inspections regime will provide effective progress reports on a range of models of delivery, including through Personal, Social and Health Education.

Class Sizes

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children aged (a) five, (b) six and (c) seven were in class sizes of over 30 in each year since 199697 to 200203.

Stephen Twigg: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		Maintained Primary Schools: Key Stage 1 Classes taught by One TeacherPosition in January each year: 1997 to 2003 (provisional) England Key Stage 1 Classes(15)
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 (16),(17),(18) 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Number of pupils in classes with 31 or more pupils 476,822 485,311 356,586 176,962 35,813 10,263 16,399 
			 Percentage of pupils in classes with 31 or more pupils 29.0 29.3 21.9 11.0 23 0.6 1.1 
			 Number of classes with 31 or more pupils 14,584 14,826 10,960 5,487 1124 325 515 
			 Percentage of classes with 31 or more pupils 23.9 24.2 17.8 8.7 1.8 0.5 0.9 
		
	
	(15) Classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.
	(16) Includes reception classes due to an underlying change in the data collection.
	(17) Only 88 of the 515 large classes had no excepted pupils or were engaged in ordinary teaching sessions which meant they did not comply with Class Size regulations,
	(18) provisional
	Source:Annual Schools' Census

Class Sizes

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class sizes were in (a) primary and (b) middle schools in Leicestershire Local Education Authority since 199192.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained Primary Schools and Middle Schools: Average Size of Classes Taught by one Teacher(19)Position in January each year: 1992 to 2003 (Provisional)
		
			  Leicestershire LEA 
			  Primary Middle(20)  
		
		
			  
			  
			 1992(21) 25.8 24.3 
			 1993(21) 26.1 24.5 
			 1994(21) 25.8 24.6 
			 1995(21) 26.5 23.8 
			 1996(21) 26.7 25.4 
			 1997(21) 26.7 25.0 
			 1998 26.9 25.1 
			 1999(22) 26.7 25.7 
			 2000(22) 26.7 26.1 
			 2001(22) 26.3 26.6 
			 2002(22) 25.9 25.7 
			 2003(22),(23) 26.4 25.6 
		
	
	(19) Classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.
	(20) Middle deemed secondary schools only as there are no middle deemed primary schools in Leicestershire LEA.
	(21) Before local government reorganisation, Leicestershire LEA also incorporated Leicester City, Rutland and rest of Leicestershire
	(22) After local government reorganisation
	(23) Provisional
	Source:Annual Schools' Census

Deprivation Indices

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the index of deprivation is in each local education authority.

David Miliband: The Education Formula Spending Share has a top up to reflect significant deprivation or additional educational needs. The additional educational needs index uses the following data:
	The proportion of children in families in receipt of Income Support/Jobseekers allowance
	The proportion of children in families in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit
	The proportion of children for who English is not their mother tongue (in the primary and under five calculation)
	The proportion of children in low achieving ethnic groups (in the secondary calculation)
	The indices for each authority are shown in the table. Authorities with a figure of 0.000 are those who are funded at the level of the additional educational needs threshold.
	
		AEN index
		
			  Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 0.2055 0.2119 
			 Barnet 0.1715 0.1360 
			 Barnsley 0.1340 0.1304 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0.0115 0.0130 
			 Bedfordshire 0.0292 0.0278 
			 Bexley 0.0632 0.0578 
			 Birmingham 0.3209 0.3314 
			 Blackburn 0.2847 0.2175 
			 Blackpool 0.1579 0.1561 
			 Bolton 0.1711 0.1330 
			 Bournemouth 0.0894 0.0801 
			 Bracknell Forest 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Bradford 0.2878 0.2743 
			 Brent 0.3458 0.3335 
			 Brighton and Hove 0.1159 0.1207 
			 Bromley 0.0306 0.0453 
			 Buckinghamshire 0.0090 0.0245 
			 Bury 0.0959 0.0951 
			 Calderdale 0.1395 0.1358 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.0021 0.0018 
			 Camden 0.3977 0.3608 
			 Cheshire 0.0201 0.0175 
			 City of Bristol 0.1435 0.1649 
			 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 0.2200 0.2142 
			 City of London 0.1734 0.2428 
			 Cornwall 0.0789 0.0762 
			 Coventry 0.1684 0.1477 
			 Croydon 0.1547 0.2180 
			 Cumbria 0.0500 0.0473 
			 Darlington 0.1135 0.1095 
			 Derby 0.1745 0.1737 
			 Derbyshire 0.0444 0.0426 
			 Devon 0.0423 0.0379 
			 Doncaster 0.1373 0.1363 
			 Dorset 0.0089 0.0077 
			 Dudley 0.0984 0.0997 
			 Durham 0.1097 0.1057 
			 Ealing 0.3075 0.2650 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0.0199 0.0164 
			 East Sussex 0.0482 0.0463 
			 Enfield 0.2449 0.2216 
			 Essex 0.0267 0.0254 
			 Gateshead 0.1433 0.1379 
			 Gloucestershire 0.0172 0.0185 
			 Greenwich 0.2746 0.3083 
			 Hackney 0.4882 0.5169 
			 Halton 0.1756 0.1739 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0.3367 0.3507 
			 Hampshire 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Haringey 0.4454 0.4709 
			 Harrow 0.1948 0.1627 
			 Hartlepool 0.1807 0.1763 
			 Havering 0.0350 0.0402 
			 Herefordshire 0.0217 0.0186 
			 Hertfordshire 0.0109 0.0132 
			 Hillingdon 0.1322 0.0975 
			 Hounslow 0.2782 0.2181 
			 Isle of Wight Council 0.0948 0.0924 
			 Isles of Scilly 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Islington 0.4157 0.4851 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0.2573 0.2506 
			 Kent 0.0492 0.0446 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0.0586 0.0465 
			 Kirklees 0.1729 0.1539 
			 Knowsley 0.2586 0.2571 
			 Lambeth 0.4249 0.4686 
			 Lancashire 0.1012 0.0913 
			 Leeds 0.1209 0.1203 
			 Leicester 0.3359 0.2360 
			 Leicestershire 0.0106 0.0030 
			 Lewisham 0.2899 0.3634 
			 Lincolnshire 0.0466 0.0425 
			 Liverpool 0.2740 0.2767 
			 Luton 0.2379 0.2610 
			 Manchester 0.3759 0.3986 
			 Merton 0.1376 0.1596 
			 Middlesbrough 0.2460 0.2405 
			 Milton Keynes 0.0769 0.0749 
			 Newbury 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 0.2237 0.2051 
			 Newham 0.5195 0.4982 
			 Norfolk 0.0564 0.0519 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0.1354 0.1321 
			 North Lincolnshire 0.0833 0.0762 
			 North Somerset 0.0088 0.0084 
			 North Tyneside 0.1115 0.1067 
			 North Yorkshire 0.0034 0.0024 
			 Northamptonshire 0.0415 0.0449 
			 Northumberland 0.0600 0.0573 
			 Nottingham City 0.2975 0.3199 
			 Nottinghamshire 0.0610 0.0670 
			 Oldham 0.2256 0.2100 
			 Oxfordshire 0.0064 0.0114 
			 Peterborough 0.1828 0.1727 
			 Plymouth 0.1229 0.1180 
			 Poole 0.0410 0.0382 
			 Portsmouth 0.1122 0.1061 
			 Reading 0.1183 0.1312 
			 Redbridge 0.2213 0.1805 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0.1458 0.1405 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0.0124 0.0300 
			 Rochdale 0.2122 0.2121 
			 Rochester and Gillingham 0.0711 0.0650 
			 Rotherham 0.1326 0.1341 
			 Rutland 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Salford 0.1801 0.1731 
			 Sandwell 0.2476 0.2299 
			 Sefton 0.0992 0.0971 
			 Sheffield 0.1561 0.1679 
			 Shropshire 0.0092 0.0062 
			 Slough 0.2341 0.2083 
			 Solihull 0.0342 0.0264 
			 Somerset 0.0236 0.0226 
			 South Gloucestershire 0.0000 0.0000 
			 South Tyneside 0.1747 0.1708 
			 Southampton 0.1559 0.1427 
			 Southend 0.1187 0.1102 
			 Southwark 0.3809 0.4795 
			 St. Helens 0.1225 0.1192 
			 Staffordshire 0.0307 0.0303 
			 Stockport 0.0497 0.0463 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0.1312 0.1266 
			 Stoke on Trent 0.1910 0.1884 
			 Suffolk 0.0263 0.0297 
			 Sunderland 0.1570 0.1510 
			 Surrey 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Sutton 0.0387 0.0432 
			 Swindon 0.0515 0.0425 
			 Tameside 0.1340 0.1272 
			 The Wrekin 0.1177 0.1130 
			 Thurrock 0.0741 0.0649 
			 Torbay 0.1196 0.1137 
			 Tower Hamlets 0.6642 0.6589 
			 Trafford 0.0807 0.0832 
			 Wakefield 0.1050 0.1014 
			 Walsall 0.1904 0.1711 
			 Waltham Forest 0.2948 0.3452 
			 Wandsworth 0.2369 0.3231 
			 Warrington 0.0375 0.0347 
			 Warwickshire 0.0222 0.0107 
			 West Sussex 0.0125 0.0068 
			 Westminster 0.4386 0.4264 
			 Wigan 0.0806 0.0762 
			 Wiltshire 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Wirral 0.1457 0.1432 
			 Wokingham 0.0000 0.0000 
			 Wolverhampton 0.2093 0.2079 
			 Worcestershire 0.0244 0.0231 
			 York 0.0357 0.0333

Education (Leicestershire)

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils there have been in Leicestershire local education authority area in each year since 199697.

David Miliband: The information requested is shown in the table for each year since 1998. Prior to this Leicestershire local education authority incorporated Leicester City, Rutland and rest of Leicestershire.
	
		All schools: Number (headcount) of pupils by type of school position in January each year 1998 to 2003(24)
		
			  Leicestershire local education authority 
			  Nursery Primary Secondary(25) Special(26) Independent All schools 
		
		
			 1998 50 49,740 41,797 415 5,368 97,370 
			 1999 50 50,205 42,598 431 5,288 98,572 
			 2000 50 50,398 43,667 432 5,168 99,715 
			 2001 51 51,193 44,736 457 5,242 101,679 
			 2002 50 50,785 45,431 483 5,460 102,209 
			 2003(24) 35 50,319 46,383 504 5,549 102,790 
		
	
	(24) Provisional
	(25) For 1998 and 1999 includes grant maintained secondary schools.
	(26) Maintained special school in Leicestershire LEA.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Education (Leicestershire)

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the (a) percentage and (b) actual cash increase in education funding for Leicestershire county council for each year since 199192.

David Miliband: The following table shows the total education standard spending assessment (ESSA) and revenue grant plus total capital funding allocated to Leicestershire local education authority for the financial years 199798 to 200203 (the years for which data is available on a like-for-like-basis) with the year-on-year cash and percentage changes.
	
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 
		
		
			 Total ESSA and Revenue Grant 
			 ( million) 207.7 221.5 239.0 263.9 288.4 310.8 
			 Cash change ( million)  13.8 17.5 24.9 24.5 22.4 
			 Percentage change  7 8 10 9 8 
			 Total Capital funding ( million) 2.9 5.5 8.3 18.9 12.8 20.7 
			 Cash change ( million)  2.6 2.8 10.6 -6.1 7.9 
			 Percentage change  90 51 128 -32 62

School Exclusions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 7 July 2003, Official Report, column 622W, on excluded pupils, if he will publish the responses of local education authorities to his Department's letter of October 2002.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 14 July 2003
	The responses received were not in a form suitable for publication. However, all Local Education Authorities confirmed that they were able to achieve the target of providing full-time education for all permanently excluded pupils by September 2002.

School Exclusions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training in each year since 1997 were (a) excluded from school and (b) in care, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) ethnic minority and (iii) local education authority.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 8 July 2003
	The percentages of young people not in education, employment or training (MEET) who were excluded from school by (i) gender and (ii) ethnicity are set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Gender/  16-year-olds  17-year-olds  18-year-olds 
			 ethnicity 1998 2000 2002 1999 2001 2000 2002 
		
		
			 Male 29 24 33 26 23 20 15 
			 Female 16 16 21 18 12 13 6 
			 Not white (27) 13 27 (27) (27) (27) 6 
			 White 22 21 27 22 18 16 11 
		
	
	(27) Sample size too small for a robust estimate
	Source:
	YCS cohorts 9 to 11
	Figures are not available for young people in care or broken down by LEA as the sample sizes are too small to provide robust estimates.

Higher Education

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the higher education participation rate was in each region of England in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2002.

Alan Johnson: The Department has recently produced participation rates for 18-year-olds entering full-time undergraduate courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). The data cover the years back to 1994/95. Figures for the years 1994/95, 1997/98 and 2002/03 are given in the table.
	
		Participation by 18-year-olds in higher education by region -- Percentage
		
			  Academic year 
			 Region 1994/95 1997/98 2002/03 
		
		
			 Greater London 17.2 20.7 23.9 
			 South East 21.1 23.0 23.3 
			 Eastern 19.0 21.2 22.6 
			 North West 17.6 20.2 21.8 
			 West Midlands 16.9 19.5 21.7 
			 East Midlands 17.1 19.8 21.5 
			 Merseyside 16.1 19.6 21.4 
			 South West 19.0 21.0 21.1 
			 North East 15.7 17.5 19.8 
			 Yorkshire 15.7 18.9 19.7 
			 England 18.1 20.6 22.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Participation rates have been calculated using the 17-year-old population from the previous year to reduce the distortion caused to LEA populations by the migration of students to their place of study. Figures exclude a very small number of accepted applicants of unknown English domicile. Population figures relate to persons aged 17 at 31 August in the year prior to entry, counts taken at the following 1 January; accepted applicants are aged 18 at 30 September in the year of entry.
	These figures are calculated on a different basis to the Department's standard measures of participation in higher education, the Age Participation Index (API) and the Initial Entry Rate (IER), neither of which are available at regional level.

Learning and Skills Council

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the National Learning and Skills Council (a) has spent, and (b) is planning to spend, on public affairs consultancy and advice on (i) promoting learning and (ii) promoting the Learning and Skills Council.

Alan Johnson: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the council's chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Learning and Skills Council

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much the national Learning and Skills Council (a) has spent and (b) plans to spend on public affairs consultancy and advice on (i) promoting learning and (ii) promoting the Learning and Skills Council; and if he will make a statement.
	(2)  how many executive directors of the Learning and Skills Council have been dismissed; if he will list the reasons in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Local Education Authority Budgets

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities did not passport 100 per cent. of their education allocation this financial year; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: In the analysis of local education authorities' (LEAs') budget returns published by my Department on 2 May, 19 LEAs were shown as failing to pass on, or passport, the full increase in their Schools Formula Spending Share to their schools budgets. My Department has been in touch with a number of these and as a result of connected figures or decisions by LEAs to increase spending on schools.

Mobile Phones

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Charles Clarke: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Calls () Line rental/other expenditure  
		
		
			 199798 52,352.41 117,693.37 
			 Total for 199798  170,045.78 
			
			 199899 50,959.11 117,339.61 
			 Total for 199899  168,298.72 
			
			 19992000 58,478.47 160,410.62 
			 Total for 19992000  218,889.09 
			
			 200001 91,335.48 237,861.51 
			 Total for 200001  329,196.99 
			
			 200102 98,504.53 275,744.34 
			 Total for 200102  374,248.87 
			
			 200203 116,603.88 237,351.90 
			 Total for 200203  353,955.78 
		
	
	The total cost refers to the cost of the equipment (set out above as 'other expenditure'), the call charges and the access charges (set out above as 'line rental').
	The 'other' expenditure includes the purchase of new handsets, personal hands-free kit, carry cases etc., but it is not possible to provide separate totals for line rental and hardware costs.

Research Funding

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the criteria are for research departments in England to receive recurrent funding in 2003/04.

Alan Johnson: In 2003/04 the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocated research funding according to the quality and volume of research departments that were rated 4 and above in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). HEFCE allocated a further 20 million to departments that were rated 5* in both the last 2 RAE's. A further 20 million is also available as capability funding to departments that were rated 3a or 3b in seven specific subject areas, to provide extra support so the research base can improve to match that in the more established fields.

Research Funding

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which units of assessment are receiving capability funding from the Higher Education
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Alan Johnson: There are seven Units of Assessments (UoAs) in all receiving capability funding in 2003/04. They are:
	Nursing
	Other Studies and Professions Allied to Medicine
	Social Work
	Art and Design
	Communication, Cultural and Media Studies
	Dance, Drama and Performing Arts
	Sports-related Subjects

School Buildings

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated cost is of making school buildings in England and Wales compliant with (a) fire safety and (b) health and safety regulations.

David Miliband: holding answer 14 July 2003
	The information available to the department from local education authorities' education asset management plans is insufficiently detailed for estimating these costs for English schools. The department does not hold information on Welsh school buildings.

School Funding (North-East Lincolnshire)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total central government funding for schools in North East Lincolnshire was in each year since 1995.

David Miliband: The information requested is only available from 199798 onwards. Due to reorganisation in Local Government in 199798 and previous changes in Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) methodology, it is not possible to provide corresponding figures for previous years. The information available is contained in the following table:
	
		North East Lincolnshire --  million
		
			  Real terms (200203 prices) 
			  SSA/EFS Grants Total 
		
		
			 199798 73.1 3.1 76.3 
			 199899 77.5 1.7 79.2 
			 19992000 78.8 4.1 82.8 
			 200001 81.6 8.5 90.1 
			 200102 82.4 11.6 94.1 
			 200203 81.7 13.7 95.3 
			 200304 84.2 12.8 97.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures reflect education SSA/EFS settlement (all sub-blocks) plus revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to EFS pupils aged 319.
	2. Figures exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level for all years and the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC for 200304.
	3. 199798 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figure.
	4. 200304 figures are forecasts.
	5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Real Terms figures are calculated using June 2003 GDP deflators.

School Funding (North-East Lincolnshire)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding was made available for schools by the North East Lincolnshire council in each year since 1995.

David Miliband: The information requested is available only from 19992000 onwards. Comparable data is not available pre 19992000 therefore it is not possible to provide corresponding figures for previous years. The information available is contained in the following table:
	
		North East Lincolnshire -- Real terms (200203 prices)
		
			  Total ( million) 
		
		
			 19992000 93.7 
			 200001 93.7 
			 200102 99.4 
			 200203 102.0 
			 200304 104.6 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. LEA Budget Figures are provided gross of all income (whether DfES grant, grants from other sources, or other income)
	2. Figures provided are from the Total Education Revenue Expenditure line of LEAs Section 52 budget statements (Table 1) as submitted by the LEA (Line 4 in 19992000, line 5 for 200001 to 200203 and line 3 for 200304. Data held as at 30 June 2003.
	3. Real Terms figures are calculated using June 2003 GDP deflators

School Funding (North-East Lincolnshire)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) government and (b) local government funding (i) was available in 200203 and (ii) is available in 200304 to schools in North East Lincolnshire; and how much of this funding was passed on to schools in each case.

David Miliband: The information requested is contained in the following table. The increase in funding for each school will depend on a number of factors covering both central and local government responsibility. These are the increase in funding given to the school's authority by central Government; the amount which the local authority decides to increase its Schools Budget by; the increase which the local authority decides to give to the Individual Schools Budget, as opposed to the items within the Schools Budget which are held centrally; and the operation of the local authority's formula which gives different increases to different schools.
	
		North East Lincolnshire --  million
		
			  200203 200304 200304(28) 
		
		
			 Central Government Funding 95.3 99.6 101.7 
			 Local Government Funding 102.0 107.4  
			 Amount passed on to schools 75.7 77.8  
		
	
	(28) Including pensions transfer
	Notes:
	Central Government figures:
	1. Figures reflect education SSA/EFS settlement (all sub-blocks) plus revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to EFS pupils aged 319.
	2. Figures exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level for all years and the pensions transfer to EPS and LSC for 200304, unless otherwise indicated.
	3. 199798 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.
	4. 200304 figures are forecasts.
	5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Cash term figures have been used.
	Local government figures:
	1. LEA Budget Figures are provided gross of all income (whether DfES grant, grants from other sources, or other income).
	2. Figures provided are from the Total Education Revenue Expenditure line of LEAs section 52 budget statements (Table 1), as submitted by the LEA (Line 4 in 19992000, Line 5 for 200001 to 200203 and Line 3 for 200304).
	3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Cash term figures have been used.
	4. Figures are as reported by LEAs, data held as at 30 June 2003.
	Amount passed to schools:
	1. Amount passed to schools taken to be Gross ISB + devolved Standards Funds + SSG + Class Size Grant
	200203: Line 1.1.7 Total ISB Including SSG and Standards Fund Devolved Grant Plus 1.3.3 Class Size Grant.
	200304: Line 1.0.1 Individual Schools Budget + Line 1.0.2 School Standards Grant + Line 1.0.3
	Standards Fund allocationrevenue (all gross).
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Cash term figures have been used.
	3. Figures are as reported by LEAs, data held as at 30 June 2003.

School Governance Degree

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to fund the persons completing the pilot Masters degree in school governance at Greenwich university.

Alan Johnson: From the information available, it has not been possible to identify the course at Greenwich university to which the hon. Member refers.

Ofsted Reports (Staff Morale)

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact on staff morale and teacher retention of an Ofsted report that places a school in special measures; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State receives a copy of the termly monitoring report from Ofsted on every school which is in special measures. These reports describe the current progress of the school against all the issues causing concern, and would inevitably cover staff morale and staff turnover where these are having a significant impact on progress. While some schools do experience these problems when they are first placed in special measures, there are also many examples of schools with high staff morale, associated with a strong determination to effect the much needed improvements.

Sex Education

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking to improve school-based sex education for boys.

David Miliband: Our Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) Guidance, issued to schools in July 2000, makes clear that SRE needs to focus on boys as well as girls. Teachers need to plan a variety of activities and teaching methods which will engage boys.
	To support teachers we have commissioned the development of practical guidance for addressing the sex and relationship education needs of boys and young men. This will be available later in the year. We have also established a Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) website which flags up information and resources that are specific to boyswww. teachernet.gov.uk/pshe.
	From April 2003 we have rolled out a professional development programme for teachers of PSHE which includes a specialist module for SRE. Participating teachers will be required to demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of the gender roles and how that is applied to teaching. Up to 750 teachers will participate this year.

Staff Redeployment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has for redeployment of members of his Department out of London and the south-east.

Charles Clarke: My Department has over half of its staff outside London and the south-east and we continually review where our business can best be delivered, including consideration of opportunities for relocation where the business case justifies this.
	Like other Departments, we are participating in Sir Michael Lyons work on public sector relocation which is due to report to my right hon. Friends the Chancellor and the Deputy Prime Minister in November.

Staffing Survey

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 7 July 2003, Official Report, column 632W, on the 2003 staffing survey, whether his Department is using the (a) 1996 and (b) 2002 staffing survey data in the formulation of the 200405 initial teacher training targets.

David Miliband: holding answer 14 July 2003
	The Department is planning to use the 2002 Staffing Survey data.

Student Performance

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information he collates on the relative performance at undergraduate level of students (a) with GCE A-level qualifications, (b) with GNVQ or equivalent vocational qualifications, (c) with advanced modern apprenticeships, (d) with overseas qualifications and (e) with other qualifications.

Alan Johnson: The Department is not aware of research that looks at the relative performance at undergraduate level of students with different types of entry qualifications. However, research has been conducted into the relationship between A-level attainment and undergraduate performance. Studies in this area include:
	Determinants of degree performance in UK universities: a statistical analysis of the 1993 student cohort by Jeremy Smith and Robin Naylor; available from Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 63 (1) 2960;
	School Performance and the Likelihood of getting into Bristol by Jeff Odell in 1999; available from http://www.bris.ac.uk/wp/wp strategy/sn9935(s.htm);
	Who does best at university? Higher Education Funding Council for England 2002; available from http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Learning/whodoes/. The HEFCE are continuing to refine and develop its analysis and a fuller report will be published later this year; and
	Fair Enough? Wider access to university by identifying potential to succeed, by UUK 2003, available from http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/fairenough/.

Teacher Qualifications

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether, under the Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations 2003, people without a formal teacher qualification can be responsible for the direction and supervision of student teachers in schools.

David Miliband: Paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 of The Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations 2003 defines student teachers as those aged over 18 years who are awaiting admission to, or retaking part of, a course of initial teacher training leading to Qualified Teacher Status. Student teachers may undertake specified work in schools for a limited period of time only (for up to 2 years or a longer period if approved by the Secretary of State). They must be supervised and directed by a qualified teacher or a nominated teacher in accordance with arrangements made by the head teacher of the school. The Regulations define a nominated teacher as a person who is either an instructor with special qualifications or experience, an overseas-trained teacher, a teacher who has almost qualified but has not yet passed the skills tests, a graduate teacher, a registered teacher, or a teacher on the employment-based teacher training scheme. Higher level teaching assistants and other school support staff cannot direct or supervise student teachers.

Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what special (a) measures and (b) funding are available for the retention and recruitment of teaching staff; and to which areas of Essex these apply.

David Miliband: Essex as a whole has benefited from the full range of Government measures introduced since 1997 to improve teacher recruitment and retention. These measure include: Training Bursaries, Golden Helios, extra pay flexibilities, an enhanced Graduate Teacher Programme, assistance to purchase homes through the Starter Homes Initiative, the repayment of student loans and funding for Recruitment Managers within local education authorities. These initiatives have helped full-time equivalent teacher numbers rise across Essex from 12,580 in 1997 to 13,650 in 2002.
	In addition, twenty-one Essex schools are benefiting this year from the 125,000 Leadership Incentive Grant (LIG).

School Standards

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received from governing bodies about the role of governors in the Time for Standards initiative.

David Miliband: holding answer 14 July 2003
	Earlier this year I met with representatives of the National Governors' Council and the National Association of Governors and Managers to discuss how best to ensure that school governing bodies are fully involved in the implementation of proposals outlined in Time for Standards and the National Agreement on raising standards and tackling workload.
	Following these discussions, my Department has set up a regular forum with governors' representatives and the signatories to the National Agreement. The first took place on 27 June. One of the outcomes of that forum will be the development of specific materials for school governors to help them contribute to workforce reform.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Rogue Landlords

Dan Norris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to ensure that tenants and the public are protected from rogue landlords.

Keith Hill: The Government published a draft Housing Bill at the end of March 2003. The Bill contains provisions that would enable local authorities to engage in the selective licensing of private sector landlords. This will help them to tackle the bad effects that irresponsible landlords and anti-social tenants can have on the wider communityparticularly in areas of low housing demand where the worst problems are concentrated. Raising standards of management in these areas will benefit tenants and the public alike.

Neighbourhood Renewal

George Mudie: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress on neighbourhood renewal.

Yvette Cooper: Last year, the Government invested over 500 million in neighbourhood renewal programmes, including the New Deal Communities programmes, which involve local residents in major projects to regenerate low income areas, and over 240 neighbourhood warden programmes.

Electoral Pilots

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if will make a statement on local electoral pilots.

Nick Raynsford: I refer my hon. Friend to the oral reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Challen) at column 263.

Regional Assemblies

Louise Ellman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what responsibilities for transport regional assemblies will have.

Nick Raynsford: Elected regional assemblies will be responsible for a regional transport strategy, for advising the Government on funding allocations for local transport and for Rail Passenger Partnership grants. They will also have powers to make proposals to the Highways Agency and the Strategic Rail Authority for schemes of regional importance, and they will have a right to be consulted by these bodies on proposals affecting the region.

Construction Projects

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on recent construction undertaken (a) at ports, (b) at airports and (c) on railway land under the provisions of the General Development Order.

Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The General Permitted Development Order grants permitted development rights to enable generally small-scale development to take place without the need to make a planning application. The Order includes rights granted to statutory undertakers for a variety of development required for the purposes of their undertaking.

Regeneration

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the work of the South East of England Development Agency on regeneration; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: A new system of Regional Development Agency (RDA) performance measurement and monitoring was set up in 1 April 2002. The annual report for SEEDA, as with all RDAs, is currently being prepared and will be submitted to the DTI and other Departments in the autumn.

Homes (Modern Construction)

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action his Department is taking to promote building of new homes using modern methods of construction.

Phil Hope: The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is promoting modern construction methods to get homes built more quickly, more safely, and to a higher standard through a number of measures including:
	the 300 million Challenge Fund, which will produce over 8,000 homes in London and south-east England, of which 2,600 will be built using modern methods of manufacturing;
	the Housing Corporation's target that, from 200405, at least 25 per cent. of grant-funded homes will be built using modern methods of construction; and
	Millenium Communities projects, which act as exemplars of using the most efficient construction methodologies. We have asked English Partnerships to give a focus on modern methods at the Millennium Community in Milton Keynes.
	The Approved Documents to the Building Regulations will give guidance on how modern methods of construction can comply with the Regulations.

London Project

Harry Cohen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his plans are to take forward his London project.

Keith Hill: The Strategy Unit's recent report analysed the issues facing London over the long-term. It did not contain policy recommendations.
	The Strategy Unit is now working with a range of departments and organisations to address these issues.

Affordable Housing

James Gray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to revise Circular 6/98, with particular reference to (a) the definition of affordable housing and (b) the site size thresholds which trigger affordable housing planning gains from developers; and when he plans to issue the revised good practice to local authorities on planning obligations.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published today for consultation an update of the existing guidance on planning for affordable housing. The update addresses a number of matters including how affordable housing should be defined and the size of site on which local authorities can seek affordable housing. The update will be supported by practice advice. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also intends to issue a consultation document on planning obligations in the near future. Following the consultation, it is our intention to publish a policy document on planning obligations that will replace Circular 1/97.

Arson

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Government funding the UK forum of Arson Investigators received in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The UK Forum of Arson Investigators has not received Government funding in any of the last five years.

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Denis Murphy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many dwellings in the UK have been subject to compulsory purchase orders in each of the last five years.

Keith Hill: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost of consultants used by his Department was in financial year 200203.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) came into existence following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002. The estimated cost, subject to final audit, of consultants used by the Office in the period 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2003 was 8,922,000. Consultants are used to bring in additional expertise and help across a wide range of the Office's responsibilities. A few examples of the areas of work where consultants are employed are:
	(a) evaluation of Local Authority statutory service and policy planning requirements;
	(b) setting up of the NRU website renewal.net;
	(c) use of arboricultural consultant Inspectors to provide advice to the Secretary of State on tree preservation order appeals;
	(d) providing senior Bain Review team members and conducting the comparisons between firefighter's pay levels and those in the economy generally;
	(e) using expertise within local authorities and suppliers to local authorities to advise on local E-Government.
	(f) seeking innovative ways of delivering services on the Strategic Partnering Taskforce.
	(g) use of independent Advisory Panel members to advise on Beacon Council selection.

Correspondence

Gregory Barker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much correspondence was received by (a) Ministers in his Department and (b) chief executives of agencies from hon. Members in 2002; what the target times for replies were; and how many replies were sent within target times.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley South (Mr. Alexander) on 15 May 2003, Official Report, column 21WS.

Departmental Staff

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of regional variations in staff turnover in his Department.

Yvette Cooper: With the exception of The Rent Service, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is yet to undertake such assessments.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister collects data relating to staff turnover in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its agencies for manpower planning. The Regional Co-ordination Unit, as the corporate centre of the Government Office Network, collects data for the Government Offices. These data will be used to make assessments of regional differences in developing our pay and workforce strategy.

Energy Efficiency

David Chaytor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is planning to improve the energy efficiency standards of new build to achieve the 10 MtC emissions reduction per annum by 2010 as indicated in the Energy White Paper.

Phil Hope: The Energy White Paper announced that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would start work immediately on the next major revision of the building regulations with the aim of bringing it into effect in 2005, and that we would raise boiler standards to the level of the most efficient types, A and B condensing ones. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also indicated our intention of raising standards over the coming decade learning lessons from the standards set in comparable European countries. The revision work will, for instance, examine what improvements can be made to the winter and summer performance standards for building fabric and heating, cooling and lighting systems, while ensuring the Regulations remain technically sound, proportionate, cost-effective and sufficiently flexible for designers.

Fire

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many fires in homes have occurred in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The information requested is tabled as follows.
	
		Fires in dwellings. United Kingdom, 19972001
		
			  Total 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997 72,492 
			 1998 71,077 
			 1999 72,228 
			 2000 70,899 
			 2001 69,014 
		
	
	Dwellings include caravans, houseboats and other non-building structures used solely as a permanent dwelling.
	Data for 2001 are provisional; 2001 is the most recent year for which data are available.

Fire

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) of 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 33, whether there will be a reduction in the response to 999 calls in England as a result of modernisation of the Fire Service; and what definition he will use of reduction in the response.

Nick Raynsford: Under integrated risk management, it will be for fire authorities, not the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, to set local standards for responding to fires and other emergencies in the light of a full assessment of the risks faced by their communities. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister believes that by developing local standards based on the risks faced by communities and by placing greater emphasis on preventative action to stop fires and other emergencies from occurring in the first place, public safety will be improved and lives will be saved.

Fire

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes to career prospects in the fire service, in terms of (a) opportunities, (b) training and (c) promotion he estimates will arise from the changes proposed in the Fire and Rescue Service White Paper.

Nick Raynsford: The changes to the appointment and promotion regulations announced in the White Paper will mean that people with the right potential and skills, both within and outside the fire and rescue service, can apply for jobs at all levels and in all parts of the service. This will provide wider and more varied opportunities for staff in all sections of the service. The White Paper also announced the introduction of the Integrated Personal Development System which will ensure staff are developed and receive training relevant to their personal needs. In many cases this will include development to help them obtain promotion. This coupled with the removal of the requirement to have served for a specific number of years before obtaining promotion will improve promotion prospects of many staff.

Fire

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many hoax calls were made to the Fire Service in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The number of malicious false calls are tabled:
	
		
			 Year Number of calls 
		
		
			 1997 88,813 
			 1998 74,200 
			 1999 70,446 
			 2000 63,482 
			 2001 63,359 (provisional)

Fire

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many retained firefighters have been recruited in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The available information collected on a financial year basis from brigades in England and Wales is set out as follows:
	
		Number of applicants who were successful in their applications for employment as retained firefighters in brigades in England and Wales
		
			  
		
		
			  
			 199899 1,486 
			 19992000 1,406 
			 200001 1,352 
			 200102 1,508 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual returns to Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Fires

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many malicious car fires were started by individuals under the age of 18 in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: The information requested is in the following table. 2001 is the most recent year for which data are available.
	
		Malicious primary car fires started by persons under 18, UK, 19972001
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 9,098 
			 1998 10,030 
			 1999 14,352 
			 2000 15,437 
			 2001 18,841 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for 2001 are provisional.
	2. Primary fires are those which cause damage to property or involve casualties.

Homelessness

Paul Marsden: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) the avarage waiting time and (b) the longest waiting time for homeless families in priority need before being placed in permanent accommodation was in the last year for which figures are available; and what the range of waiting times was in each local authority.

Keith Hill: Under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002), local housing authorities have a duty to secure accommodation for applicants who are eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and who fall within a priority need group (the main homelessness duty). The duty applies until a settled housing solution becomes available (for example, an allocation of housing made under Part 6 of the 1996 Act as amended by the 2002 Act) or some other circumstance brings the duty to an end (for example, the applicant voluntarily quits temporary accommodation secured for him or here by the authority). Data supplied by local authorities in England shows that, overall, in 2002/03 almost three-quarters of households owed the main homelessness duty and provided with temporary accommodation received an offer of some form of settled accommodation; for the remainder, the duty was brought to an end as a result of some other circumstance.
	Information on the length of time that households which were owed the main homelessness duty have stayed in temporary accommodation (including any period pending a decision on their application) before the homelessness duty is brought to an end is collected in six-monthly time bands (under six months, six months to one year, etc to two years or more). It is therefore not possible to provide an average waiting time. However, it is estimated that just over half of the households who were owed a main homelessness duty, placed in temporary accommodation and subsequently received an offer of settled accommodation during 2002/03 (either an offer made under Part 6 of the 1996 Act or some other form of offer) had waited less than six months before receiving the offer. By comparison, only 10 per cent. had been in temporary accommodation for more than two years before receiving such an offer.
	Only two-thirds of local authorities were able to provide a comprehensive analysis of time spent in temporary accommodation and, due to concerns about the data quality, comparisons between authorities are not advisable. Available information suggests that, in around a quarter of local authorities, 90 per cent. of the households offered accommodation received the offer within six months.

Housing (Wandsworth)

Tom Cox: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many dwellings have been completed in the London Borough of Wandsworth in each of the last three years that were (a) for private residential use and (b) for local authority use.

Keith Hill: Tom Cox: Details of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and private completions are listed below. From the information available, there have been no local authority dwelling completions for the last three years.
	
		
			  Private RSL 
		
		
			 200001 209 90 
			 200102 336 51 
			 200203 637 (29)41 
		
	
	Sources:P2 Return from local authorities to ODPM (data based on building control inspection
	RSL Figures: Housing Investment Programme Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix

Housing Revenue Account

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 3 July 2003, Official Report, column 461W, on housing revenue account, whether housing revenue account money may be used to fund the administration of anti-social behaviour orders served on people who do not live in local authority housing.

Keith Hill: No.

National Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 3WS, what assessment he made of the option using the interest generated on tenancy deposits held on a single custodial deposit scheme to cover the costs of independent adjudication where disputes occur.

Keith Hill: The consultation paper Tenancy Money: probity and protection provided an assessment in paragraph 35 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex 1. It noted that if 790 million, the amount estimated to be currently held in deposits, were held in a single custodial deposit scheme for a year, it would raise 31.6 million in interest (calculated at the Bank of England's then current base-rate). This is income that currently accrues to the landlord or, if so specified in the tenancy agreement, the tenant.

National Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of disputed cases that would ultimately require adjudication under a national tenancy deposit scheme.

Keith Hill: There is a statistical analysis in paragraphs 814 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex 1 of the consultation paper on Tenancy Money. This noted that according to the Survey of English Housing (SEH) some 20 per cent. of tenants said that their deposits had been unreasonably withheld in the last three years. However for the purposes of calculating the maximum number of disputed cases an SEH figure was used that showed that of the 905,000 tenancies that finished in 200102 some 127,000 of these (14 per cent.) involved, in the tenant's view, an unjustified retention of all or part of the deposit.

National Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place copies of the public responses to Tenancy Money: probity and protection in the Library.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will do so when detailed proposals that will take account of Law Commission proposals for tenure reform are published. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister hopes this will be later this year.

National Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 3WS, which paragraph in Tenancy Money: probity and protection indicated that there is not a robust case for legislating to compel the protection of tenancy monies in third party schemes.

Keith Hill: Chapter 3, paragraph 35, of the consultation paper stated that an independent evaluation of the pilot by York University was inconclusive as to the need for legislation, as the pilot had provided insufficient evidence to assess fully the nature and extent of the problem. A more detailed report published alongside (but summarised in Annex 9 of) the consultation paper concluded that there is no clear evidence that the actual incidence of tenants losing their deposits is so high as to require legislative intervention. In Annex 1 of the consultation paper the balance of costs and benefits, as estimated for the Regulatory Impact Assessment, were shown to be roughly equal.

National Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 3WS, what estimated percentage of disputed cases going to adjudication he used to calculate that the annual adjudication costs of a national tenancy deposit scheme would be 19 million.

Keith Hill: There is a statistical analysis in paragraphs 814 and 29 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex 1 of the consultation paper on Tenancy Money. This was based on the figures in the Survey of English Housing that of the 905,000 tenancies that finished each year approximately 127,000 tenants (or 14 per cent. of that total) felt that none or a lesser sum of the deposit should have been withheld. It further assumed, having regard to evidence from the pilot tenancy deposit scheme, that the average cost of adjudications would be 150.

National Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate the annual adjudication costs of the custodial option for a national tenancy deposit scheme if only 2.5 per cent. of disputed cases require adjudication.

Keith Hill: There is a tentative statistical analysis in the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex 1 of the consultation paper on Tenancy Money. It suggested that the maximum number of tenants who might feel they had a case to go to adjudication was 127,000. Assuming that (i) only a custodial option was in place (ii) only 2.5 per cent of 127,000 (3,175) sought adjudication and (iii) the average cost of adjudication under the pilot of 150 appliedthe cost would be 476,250. Although the figure of 2.5 per cent. is closer to the proportion of tenancies in the pilot that resulted in adjudication a mandatory requirement for safeguarding tenancy monies would probably result in a much higher proportion requiring adjudication.

Housing (North-East Lincolnshire)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was allowed to north east Lincolnshire for housing in the SSA for each year from 1995; and how much was spent on it by the local authority.

Nick Raynsford: The majority of resources for housing are provided through the Housing Revenue Account. Formula Spending Shares (formerly Standard Spending Assessments) cover rent officer functions and certain homelessness and housing renewal functions, though we do not make allocations for specific services.
	North East Lincolnshire's expenditure on these non-HRA housing services from 199697 to 200102 was 443,000; 785,000, 795,000, 850,000, 743,000 and 836,000 respectively.

Correspondence

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many occasions since May 2002 Ministers in his Department have passed (a) hon. Members' letters and (b) hon. Members' questions to agencies for response; and what percentage of the total number of letters and questions received this represents.

Yvette Cooper: Between the period of 29 May 2002 to 27 June 2003, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received (a) 10,060 letters from hon. Members of which 89 were transferred to executive agencies for response; and (b) 3,692 parliamentary questions of which 11 were transferred to executive agencies. In both cases this represents less than 1 per cent. of all correspondence and parliamentary questions received.

Small Retailers (Deprived Areas)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on programmes under the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas initiative funded by the Government Office for the North West.

Yvette Cooper: Government Office for the North West was allocated 2,355,088 of funding for small retail businesses in deprived areas for the three years, 200104. It was used on a range of interventions to individual shops or groups of shops, such as better locks and toughened glass or by making improvements to their immediate environment, such as better lighting.
	It is expected that a minimum of 955 shops in the North West will benefit from this year's allocation.

Social Housing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 20 March, Official Report, column 937W, on social housing grant, what estimate he has made of the number of social housing schemes which will not proceed as a result of the abolition of Local Authority Social Housing Grant; and how many social housing units will be lost in consequence.

Keith Hill: On 17 June, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced a further extension of transitional arrangements for with debt local authorities. The period for submission of bids to the Housing Corporation by those authorities has been extended to 31 July and further resources have been made available of 30 million in 200405 and 40 million in 200506. The number of affordable houses to be built in 200304 from the funding for transitional arrangements will not be known until after that date.

Sport

Andy Reed: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) assessment he has made of and (b) research he has commissioned into the potential impact of sport on regeneration; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The potential impact of sports facilities in contributing to regeneration is recognised in the Urban White Paper Our Towns and our Cities: the Future published in November 2000. It covers the role of cultural, leisure and sporting activities in promoting social and economic well-being in towns and cities.
	The impact of such activities on regeneration has been demonstrated by assessments carried out to select Beacon Councils for the Regenerating through Culture, Sport and Tourism theme in Round Two of the Beacon Council Scheme. Councils awarded Beacon Status have worked with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) to share their best practice with councils all over the country.
	Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, revised in July 2002, recognises that high quality and well managed and maintained open spaces, sport and recreation facilities can support an urban renaissance and improve peoples' sense of well being in the place they live. Assessing Needs and Opportunities: A Companion Guide to PPG 17 advises on how local assessments of need and audits of provision for such facilities can be carried out.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not carried out research specifically into the impact of sporting activities on regeneration. Within Government, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) takes the lead on sports policy. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is, however, working closely with other Government Departments (including DCMS), the Regional Development Agencies and the Core Cities Group of local authorities to consider ways of increasing the competitiveness and prosperity of major regional cities. This has included looking at the role that large-scale sporting and cultural investments can play in creating successful cities.
	The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, is working closely with Sport England to improve the design quality of new sports buildings and spaces by adopting best practice. Their joint report Better Places for Sport, published in May 2003, acknowledges the role of high quality sports facilities in helping to revitalise deprived neighbourhoods.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has also been involved along with other stakeholders, such as DCMS, in analysing the consultants report commissioned to assess the costs and benefits of bidding for and hosting the Olympic Games in London in 2012. This examined the potential regeneration benefits offered by the Games for regenerating the Lower Lea Valley and other proposed sites.

Local Government Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the average Standard Spending Assessment was per head of population in (a) England, (b) the South West, (c) Dorset and (d) Poole in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs) were replaced by Formula Spending Shares (FSSs) in 200304. These are not directly comparable since the total amount of FSS was much larger than the total for SSA would have been as a result of increasing the Resource Equalisation.
	The population data used for 200304 (the mid-2001 population estimates) was based on the 2001 Census; the population data for the other years was based on the 1991 Census. These data are therefore also not directly comparable.
	The following table provides SSA per head for the period 199798 and FSS per head for 200304 as requested.
	
		
			  England South West Dorset Poole 
		
		
			 199798 829.45 736.59 560.95 653.65 
			 199899 869.19 768.63 585.49 681.09 
			 19992000 907.66 803.66 615.17 711.94 
			 200001 943.33 836.69 645.79 735.73 
			 200102 980.69 866.93 670.32 764.00 
			 200203 995.30 876.47 665.64 759.72 
			 200304 1,177.45 1,045.84 778.36 903.15 
		
	
	The figures are not comparable year-on-year as the services funded through SSA and FSS have changed over this period.
	The figures for England and the South West also include police services. Police services are provided by Dorset police in the Dorset and Poole area and are not therefore included in the Dorset and Poole figures.

Telecommunications Masts

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning applications have been made to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department.

Keith Hill: Since 29 May 2002, when the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established, there have been no planning applications for prior approval to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Fair Trade

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what EU policy is on removing (a) tariff and (b) non-tariff barriers to trade between the EU and the developing world.

Mike O'Brien: The EU is committed to improvements in market access for all members of the WTO, with a particular emphasis on developing country priorities. In agriculture the EU has already proposed average reductions in tariffs of 36 per cent. In non agricultural goods, the EU has proposed that all tariffs should be reduced to a maximum of 15 per cent. The EU is also committed to the reduction and whenever possible elimination of non-tariff barriers ensuring that these do not replace tariffs as an obstacle to trade.
	In addition, to assist the integration of developing countries into the world trading system, the EU's preferential access schemes allow many products from developing countries to enter the EU either duty free or with low tariffs. Under the Everything But Arms initiative, least developed countries have duty and quota-free access to the EU. African, Caribbean and Pacific countries also have preferential access to the EU market under the Cotonou Agreement under which most of their exports enter the EU duty free. Other developing countries enjoy preferential access under the generalised system of preferences.

Administration/Receivership Services

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what plans she has to review (a) the way that companies are charged for administration and receivership services and (b) the ways in which assets of companies placed into administration or receivership are sold.
	(2)  What procedures are in place to control administration and receivership costs.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is a matter for the judgment of the administrator or receiver, usually with the benefit of professional advice, as to the most appropriate method of disposing of the company's assets, with a view to achieving the best price for them. We have no plans to review this or the basis on which an administrator's or receiver's remuneration is fixed. (this first paragraph is not attributed in Hansard, but probably by Mr. Sutcliffe)
	An administrator is appointed by the court and is required to submit his proposals for achieving the purposes of the administration to the company's creditors and members. His remuneration is fixed by reference either to the value of the property with which he has to deal or the time properly given by him and his staff in attending to matters arising in the administration, and it is for the creditors' committee to determine it. If there is no committee or it does not make the required determination, the remuneration can be fixed by resolution of a meeting of the company's creditors. If not fixed in either of these ways, the administrator must apply to the court to fix his remuneration.
	The costs of an administrative receiver, including his remuneration, are primarily a matter for agreement between the receiver and the secured creditor by whom he is appointed, but any liquidator appointed in relation to the company has the power to ask the court to fix the receiver's remuneration if he considers that necessary or appropriate.

Fuel Poverty

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government will take to ensure that every home has access to affordable heating.

Stephen Timms: The Government published its Strategy for dealing with fuel poverty in November 2001, and its first annual progress report in March 2003. These documents set out how the Government intends to ensure that fuel poverty is ended among the vulnerable by 2010 and among the non-vulnerable in England by November 2016, as far as reasonably practicable. This will be done through:
	programmes to improve the home energy efficiency of fuel poor households;
	continuing action to maintain the downward pressure on fuel bills, ensuring fair treatment for the less well off, and supporting the development of energy industry initiatives to combat fuel poverty;
	continuing action to tackle poverty, low incomes and social exclusion.
	We are working closely with the independent Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, to develop better identification and targeting mechanisms to improve local delivery of measures to combat fuel poverty. Extension of the gas network can help to meet these targets, and my Department is continuing to consider how this may be achieved.

BAE Systems

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the management of BAe Systems concerning a possible takeover bid by a foreign company.

Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has regular meetings with the management of BAe Systems at which a wide range of issues are discussed, including the company's performance, competitiveness, future programmes and future strategy. Such discussions are commercially confidential, under Exemption 13Third Party's Commercial Confidences of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Biotechnology

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her Answer of 26 June 2003, Official Report, column 922W, on biotechnology, how much her Department spent in (a) sponsorships, (b) grants and (c) other financial assistance to biotechnology companies in 200102.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 22 July 2003
	For the most recent financial year (2001/02), the Department's expenditure on grants and other financial assistance for the biotechnology industry sector in the UK was approximately 16 million (excluding Research Councils' funding).
	Information on the expenditure by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) was provided in my answer to the hon. Member on 26 June 2003, Official Report, columns 92122W.
	It is not possible to give precise information, due to the lack of a generally accepted definition of biotechnology and the differences in the ways individual Research Councils analyse their annual expenditure.

Broadband

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what sums have been paid to (a) NTL and (b) BT to assist in the rollout of broadband services; when such payments were made; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: pursuant to the answer, 18 June 2003, Official Report, c. 324W
	In that answer I stated that Under the Cornwall ActNow project, assisted by EC Objective 1 funding, BT received 237,225 from DTI between December 2001 and August 2002, as a result of a tender process to upgrade exchanges for broadband in a region where such investment would also not be commercially viable. I should now like to clarify the position.
	The source of the capital funding for ActNow was EU Objective 1 funding. In addition, some revenue funding was provided via EU Objective 1, other public contributors and the South West of England Regional Development Agency from funds provided by Central Government. None of this funding was paid direct to BT. The applicant for both the capital and revenue funding for ActNow was Cornwall Enterprise, a part of Cornwall county council, on behalf of all public partners in the project. BT was one of a number of partners with a role in fulfilling the project. Cornwall Enterprise also took responsibility for monitoring BT's performance.

Broadband

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to publish the recent report by Analysis on the UK's progress on the take-up of broadband across the G7 countries.

Stephen Timms: The take-up of broadband, which is measured as an index of residential (M.J.A.) broadband penetration across a range of G7 countries, will be published in an extract from the recent report by Analysis on the Department's website in the section headed Broadband progress-national facts and figures by the end of the July.

Coal Industry

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of when coal will disappear as a plausible energy source owing to emission constraints.

Stephen Timms: Published supporting analysis to the Energy White Paper published in February 2003 suggests that coal could still represent more than 10 per cent. of total UK energy use in 2010, while falling to somewhat below 10 per cent. by 2020. The fall partly reflects the impact of an increase in the age structure of existing coal plants on plant economics, but also incorporates the impact of certain policies such as the Climate Change Programme, Large Combustion Plant Directive and the National Emissions Ceilings Directive.
	The White Paper itself recognizes that the pressures on coal from an environmental direction may increase in future, but comments on the potential for coal to remain as a major fuel source if combined with clean coal technology or capture and storage techniques.

Company Directors

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 7 July 2003, Official Report, column 569W, on company directors, how many adverse reports in each year were referred by her Department for court action; how many directors were reported on more than one occasion; and how many of these directors were disqualified, and for what period.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Details of the disqualification actions issued and of the disqualifications obtained are published in the Insolvency Service Agency Annual Report and Accounts. The remaining information cannot be provided except at disproportionate costs.

Correspondence

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes of 19 May concerning the Early Day Motion calling for a ban on trade in cat and dog fur and which was transferred from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for reply.

Mike O'Brien: The reply will be sent to the hon. Member for Totnes on 17 July 2003.

Energy Efficiency

John Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings have been held between her Department and the Treasury since the publication of the Energy White Paper in February to discuss fiscal instruments to improve energy efficiency.

Stephen Timms: The Treasury and Defra lead on the question of fiscal instruments and energy efficiency policy respectively. The DTI has not specifically held meetings with the Treasury on the subject of fiscal instruments for energy efficiency. However on a number of occasions discussions between DTI, Defra and the Treasury on the follow up to the Energy White Paper, through the Sustainable Energy Policy Network and otherwise, have addressed the use of fiscal instruments in various aspects of energy policy.

Energy Imports

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the UK's energy she estimates will be imported in 2023.

Stephen Timms: As mentioned at Section 6.13 of the Energy White Paper, published in February 2003, we are likely to be importing around three quarters of our primary energy needs by 2020.

European Union Contracts

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the EU concerning reform of the system for advertising EU public sector contracts for which small businesses might bid.

Jacqui Smith: My hon. Friend the then Minister for Competition, Consumers and Markets met her counterparts in the EU to discuss the need to reform the present system for awarding EU public sector contracts. These exchanges have taken place as part of the discussions held with the European Commission and other member states on the proposals to update, clarify and simplify the existing public procurement directives.

European Union Directives

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the additional cost to businesses arising from the need, under the Government's implementation of the Equal Treatment at Work Directive, to compensate employees taking early retirement who might have worked on until they were 70; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Early retirement packages are a matter for negotiation between employer and employee. The Government are consulting on proposals to prohibit age discrimination under the EU Employment Directive. The proposals include options relating to retirement age, but would not require changes to the age at which pensions may be payable. They do not, therefore, require additional costs to businesses in relation to early retirement.

European Union Directives

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the expected quantity of age discrimination claims against employers from employees per year as a result of EU Directives in terms of (a) volume and (b) value; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Regulatory Impact Assessment that accompanies the Equality and Diversity: Age Matters consultation document has used existing discrimination cases as a pointer to estimate the number and cost of age discrimination claims that might arise.
	We would expect about 8,000 Employment Tribunal applications to be made per year, at an average cost to an employer of between 2,000 and 4,000 per case. To reduce the potential burden on employers, the Government are aiming to have the Regulations outlawing age discrimination in place by the end of 2004 so that employers have ample time to change their internal systems to reduce the likelihood of claims being made against them when the legislation comes into force on 1 October 2006.

Executive Remuneration

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the publications produced by her Department in each year since 1997 which have made reference to executive remuneration.

Jacqui Smith: The Department has produced consultative documents specifically on the issue of executive remuneration on three occasions since 1997, as follows:
	
		
			   Date 
		
		
			 99/923 Directors' Remuneration July 1999 
			 01/1400 Directors' Remuneration December 2001 
			 03/652 Rewards for Failure Directors'RemunerationContracts,Performance and Severance June 2003 
		
	
	Other publications will also have made reference to executive remuneration but a more detailed answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as such information is not held centrally.

Independent Insurance Company

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reports she has received from the administrators concerning the conduct of the directors of Independent Insurance Company; and what action she intends to take concerning the company's collapse.

Gerry Sutcliffe: On 17 June 2001, the High Court of Justice appointed provisional liquidators of Independent Insurance Company Ltd. The provisional liquidators are responsible for the protection of the company estate until the court determines the winding up petition presented against the company. There is no requirement to submit conduct reports on the company directors, until such time as a winding up order is made by the court, at which time the business affairs and failure of the company would be investigated by the Official Receiver.

Insolvency Service

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licensed insolvency practitioners are employed by the Insolvency Service.

Gerry Sutcliffe: None.

Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees are estimated by her Department to lack adequate internal dispute resolution procedures; what proportion of these are small and medium-sized enterprises; how many are expected to lack adequate procedures when the new rules come into force in 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We estimate that there are just over 800,000 employers that do not have adequate dispute resolution procedures in place at this time. 97 per cent. of those firms with inadequate procedures have less than 20 employees.
	The statutory dispute resolution procedures (as set out in draft Regulations, under the Employment Act 2002, which were published on 9 July 2003) are planned to come into force in October 2004. The implementation of these procedures will be supported by a broad, wide-reaching information and guidance campaign, in partnership with a range of small firms organisations and other advisory bodies. The campaign aims to ensure that all small firm employers are informed about the new requirements in time to implement them.

Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has had from small and medium-sized enterprises concerning requirements expected to come into force in 2004 to compel staff wishing to pursue a complaint to go through internal dispute resolution procedures before going to a tribunal.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The framework for these new dispute resolution procedures was established in the 2002 Employment Act. This was preceded by an extensive public consultation, involving many small and medium-sized firms.
	The Government are currently consulting on draft Regulations that will bring these dispute resolution procedures into effect. The draft Regulations were developed with considerable input from an Advisory Group, which included representatives from the Small Business Council, the Small Business Service, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Forum for Private Business. Moreover, in line with Cabinet Office guidelines, two focus groups were held with small businesses to test the proposals.
	The ongoing consultation on these draft Regulations will last for 16 weeks until 29 October 2003. We hope to collect more views from small firms, and other organisations, during this time.

Mail Order Companies

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what restrictions there are on mail order companies debiting customers' credit cards where they are unable to give a date when the goods will be available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are no restrictions on mail order companies debiting consumers' credit cards in the circumstances described. However, consumers are protected by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 which stipulate that unless the parties have agreed otherwise, the supplier must deliver the goods within 30 days; and that if the goods are unavailable the consumer must be informed and reimbursed.

Nuclear Industry

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government has to support research and development in the nuclear industry.

Stephen Timms: Direct DTI funding of fission research stopped in 1994 with the cessation of the fast reactor programme and there is none included in current DTI spending plans for the next three years. DTI funding is reviewed annually and will be considered next as part of the 2004 Spending Review, which covers the period 200508. The UK nuclear industry currently benefits from Government support for EU and OECD co-ordinated research programmes.
	The Research Councils received funding from spending review 2002 for a research programme Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy which includes proposals to establish a National Energy Research Network and UK Energy Research Centre. A Scientific Advisory Committee has been established to advise the Councils on the emphasis and scope of the programme and of the Centre. It is however envisaged that the National Energy Research Network would cover a broad range of energy research. In addition, the Research Councils provide funding in the region of 16 million a year for fusion research.

Pension Fund Deficits

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on government liability for deficits in the pension funds of (a) Rolls Royce and (b) BAE Systems.

Jacqui Smith: The Government assumed ultimate responsibility for any outstanding liabilities of British Aerospace, which vested in its successor company on 1 January 1981 in preparation for privatisation. The Government would only become responsible for such liabilities, including those for pension fund deficits, in the event of a voluntary winding up of BAE Systems plc or an order to wind up the company by the court under the Insolvency Act.
	The Government has no liability for deficits in the pension funds of Rolls-Royce.

Post Offices

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in Leicester she has visited since 2001; and how many of those subsequently closed.

Stephen Timms: In her ministerial capacity, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, has visited one post office in Leicester since 2001. In her constituency capacity, she visits post offices as part of her normal engagements. Post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd and we do not keep data showing if post offices visited by Ministers have subsequently closed.

Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the appointees to the (a) National Consumer Council, (b) Hearing Aid Council, (c) Gas Consumer Council, (d) Post Office Users Council for Scotland, (e) Post Office Users Council for Northern Ireland, (f) Post Office Users Council for Wales, (g) English Advisory Committee on Telecommunications, (h) Scottish Advisory Committee on Telecommunications, (i) Northern Ireland Committee on Telecommunications, (j) Economic and Social Research Council, (k) Medical Research Council, (l) Natural Environmental Research Council, (m) Advisory Committee on Coal Research, (n) Energy Advisory Panel, (o) Measurement Advisory Committee, (p) Overseas Project Board, (q) London  Southeast Industrial Development Board, (r) Northwest Industrial Development Board (s) Southwest Industrial Development Board and (t) Eastern Region Industrial Development Board; and which of the appointees to each body are from ethnic minorities.

Patricia Hewitt: The membership of the bodies listed is as follows. An asterisk indicates appointees who have declared that they are from the black or minority ethnic communities:
	National Consumer Council
	Deirdre MuttonChair
	Robert ChiltonVice Chair
	Graeme Millar
	Viv Sugar
	Stephen Costello
	Mark Boleat
	Andrew Dilnot
	Dianne Hayter
	Sir Christopher Kelly
	Stephen Locke
	Julie Mellor
	Julia Unwin
	Hearing Aid Council
	John RaineChair
	Anthony Corcoran
	Christine Pearce
	Deepak Prasher*
	Victoria Skeels
	Jonathan Ormerod
	Maurice Hawthorne
	Mark Georgevic
	Margaret Hughes
	Denise Yates
	Huw Thomas
	John Irwin
	Peter Ormerod
	Energywatch
	Ann RobinsonChair
	Allan AsherChief Executive
	Andrew Horsier
	Bob Wilkinson
	John Hanlon
	Les Roberts
	Neil Menzies
	Sharon Darcy
	Tim Cole
	Postwatch
	National Council Appointees:
	Peter CarrChair
	Moi Ali*
	Dr. Diane Bailey
	Ann Foster
	Clara Arokiasamy*
	Council appointees who are also regional chairs
	Dr. Tom Begg QBE JPScotland
	John Stringer OBENorthern Ireland
	Eifion Pritchard QPMWales
	Judith Donovan CBENorthern England
	Kay DixonGreater London
	Dr. Charles WinstanleyEast of England
	Richard WandMidlands
	Dr. David Bland OBESouth East England
	Charles HowesonSouth and West
	English advisory committee on telecommunications
	Moira Black CBEChair
	Peter Collins
	Siva Lingham-Moodley*
	Robert Little
	Brian Love
	Barbara McClennan
	Brian McNally
	Peter Sayers
	James Woodward-Nutt
	Scottish advisory committee on telecommunications
	Jeremy MitchellChair
	Christopher Griffith
	Mark Hagger
	Kenneth Murray
	Wendy Reynolds
	Alastair Robertson
	Barry Stevens
	Northern Ireland advisory committee on telecommunications
	Courtenay ThompsonChair
	John Campbell
	Brian St. John Collins
	Moore Kennedy
	Ian McPherson
	Seamus Magee
	Jean McVitty
	Economic and Social Research Council
	Frances CairncrossChair
	Professor Ian DiamondChief Executive
	Professor Patricia Broadfoot
	Professor Andrew Chesher
	Ms Bronwyn Curtis
	Professor Haydn Ellis
	Mr. Stuart Etherington
	Mr. Paul Johnson
	Ms Eileen MacKay
	Ms Marianne Neville-Rolfe
	Professor Robin Wensley
	Professor Steve Wilks
	Professor Sir Alan Wilson
	Medical Research Council
	Sir Anthony CleaverChair
	Professor Sir George RaddaChief Executive
	Dr. E. Mac Armstrong
	Sir William Castell
	Professor Kay Davies
	Professor R M Denton
	Dr. Peter Fellner
	Professor Ray Fitzpatrick
	Derek Flint
	Dr. Ruth Hall
	Professor Ian MacLennan
	Professor Alan North
	Professor Sir John Pattison
	Professor Genevra Richardson
	Professor Nancy Rothwell
	Professor John Savill
	Natural Environment Research Council
	Rob MargettsChair
	Professor John LawtonChief Executive
	Professor Malcolm Anderson
	Chris Andrews
	Professor John Beddington
	Professor Valerie Brown
	Pamela Castle
	Professor Howard Dalton
	Professor Trevor Davies
	Professor Anne Glover
	Richard Hardman
	Dr. Colin Hicks
	Edwin Tenner
	Mrs Karen Morgan
	Professor Judith Petts
	Professor David Read
	Advisory Committee on Cleaner Coal Technologies
	Peter Cooper
	Mike Evans
	Dr. Mike Parley
	Ken Ferguson
	Dr. Chris Green
	John Griffiths
	Professor John McMullan
	Nick Otter
	Brian Ricketts
	Paul Setchfield
	Professor Jim Williamson
	Energy Advisory Panel
	Sir John CollinsChair
	Dr. Christopher Anastasi
	Peter Lehmann CBE
	Professor John Chesshire OBE
	Dr. Catherine Mitchell
	Tony Cooper
	Hugh Mortimer
	Dr. Nigel Evans
	David Green MBE
	Peter Nicholls
	Dr. Dieter Helm
	Mike Parker OBE
	Dr. Paul Jefferiss
	Professor Kenneth Vowles OBE
	Professor Alexander Kemp
	Dr. Anthony White
	Measurement Advisory Committee
	Dr. Colin Gaskell CBE Chair
	Dr. Penny Allisy-Roberts QBE
	Mr. Mike Buckley
	Dr. Peter Cowley
	Prof Les Ebdon
	Dr. David Ellix
	Prof Ken Grattan
	Mr. David Holmwood
	Dr. Alan Johnson
	Dr. Roger Jones
	Mr. John Latham
	Mr. Steve Lower
	Dr. Julia King
	Dr. John Tyrer
	Mr. Richard Freeman
	Dr. Janet Townsend
	London and South East Industrial Development Board
	John McCreadyChair
	Thomas Cohen
	Peter Croucher
	Praful Davda*
	Bryan Davies
	Gurbinder Gill*
	Jim Hicks
	Wendy Hyde
	Mei Sim Lai*
	Helen Sasson
	Robert Stiles
	Indeer Jeet Sodhi*
	Graeme Wyles
	North West Industrial Development Board
	Lorraine ClintonChair
	John Dixon
	John Alcock
	Raymond Armstrong
	John Cackett
	David McCall
	Duncan Mcllan
	Kirit Pathak QBE*
	George Verghese*
	Eva Wisemark
	Dr. Marcus Wood
	South West Industrial Development Board
	Ian LoweChair
	Dr. Susan Astbury
	Ruth Bagley
	Dr. Richard Brown
	Alan Courts
	John Crownshaw
	Ian Douglas
	Neville Gibson
	Alan Hayman
	Richard Morgan
	Rama Nand-Lal
	Victoria Pickering
	Nigel Randall
	Brian Sherwin
	Terence Slater
	Barbara Speirs
	Eastern Region Industrial Development Board
	Elaine OddieChair
	David Baggott
	Alan Davies
	Robert Downing
	Martin Gould
	Keith Hamilton
	Terence Hill
	Shaz Khan OBE*
	Hugh Lawson
	Laurence Russen
	Mike Smith
	Notes:
	1. The Gas Consumer Council has been replaced by the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council (better known as Energywatch)
	2. Postwatch (also known as the Consumer Council for Postal Services) took the place of the Post Office Users Council for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and also the Post Office Users National Council.
	3. We have no trace of the Advisory Committee on Coal Researchwe have however attached details of the membership of the Advisory Committee on Cleaner Coal Technologies.
	4. We have no trace of the Overseas Project Board.

Renewable Energy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what target she has set for the percentage of renewable energy use by (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The Renewables Obligation which the Government introduced in April 2002, places an obligation on all licensed electricity suppliers to supply a specified proportion of electricity from renewables. We have set a target for electricity generated from renewable sources to reach 10 per cent. by 2010.
	(b) The Energy White PaperOur energy futurecreating a low carbon economy published in February 2003 reinforces the Government's commitment to renewable forms of energy. Our aspiration is that by 2020, 20 per cent. of the UK's electricity needs will be met from renewable sources.

Richard Roberts Ltd.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when in October 2002 officials of the Department of Trade and Industry's Insolvency Department met the CEO of Richard Roberts Ltd. to discuss redundancy payments for the unemployed workers in Leicester; what the original amount was that the Department of Trade and Industry agreed to pay for the Richard Roberts Company's insolvency in the Leicester factory in October 2002; and by when the Department of Trade and Industry intends to pay the agreed amount.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My officials concerned with redundancy payments have held a number of meetings with the Finance Director of Richard Roberts Ltd. but have not met the Chief Executive Officer. The Redundancy Payments Office agreed to make payments to former employees of the company, initially of 750,000 and subsequently a further 1,250,000, a total of 2,000,000. The office has already made payments in excess of the agreed amount.

Trading Standards

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Stop Now Orders have been issued since June 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since June 2001 when the Stop Now Orders (EC Directive) Regulations came into force, seven Stop Now Orders have been sought and obtained from the courts. Four of these were obtained by Trading Standards authorities and three by the Office of Fair Trading.

Trading Standards

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints have been received alleging unfair contract terms under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 in each year since 1997; how many of these complaints have been open for more than two years; and how many successful prosecutions there have been in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) figures for complaints by calendar years are:
	1997: 1,045
	1998: 1,110
	1999: 1,359
	2000: 1,202
	2000: 1,179
	2002: 1,048
	Figures for the last two financial years are:
	200102: 1,076
	200203: 1,055
	At the end of the last financial year, 125 cases had been open for over two years.
	OFT has no power to undertake prosecutions as such for the use of unfair terms. Its power is to seek injunctions to prevent the use of unfair terms. But OFT may accept undertakings not to use unfair terms in lieu of seeking injunctions and in nearly all cases it secures such improvements in standard contract terms in this way, through consultation and negotiation. Since 1995, OFT has secured some 900 undertakings from businesses not to use unfair terms. These undertakings govern the use of some 5,000 unfair terms. In only one case, that of 'Director General of Fair Trading v. First National Bank', has the OFT had to take legal action to stop the use of a term it considered unfair. In that case, the House of Lords reversed the decision of the Court of Appeal and decided that the term in question was not unfair.

Trading Standards

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many undertakings she has received from businesses to desist from unfair trading; how many subsequent breaches of these undertakings there have been; and how many have been prosecuted for breach of undertaking;
	(2)  if she will set out the procedures in place for monitoring undertakings given by businesses to desist from unfair trading.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Under the Stop Now Orders (EC Directive) Regulations 2001, there have been 26 undertakings (12 by the Office of Fair Trading and 14 by Trading Standards authorities) received against business breaching consumer protection legislation. The DTI do not receive undertakings from business under these Regulations.
	As a result of breaches of the undertaking, seven cases gone to court and Stop Now Orders obtained. A breach of a Stop Now Order in one case resulted in the trader been found guilty of contempt of court.

Supermarkets

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the effects of below-cost selling by supermarkets;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the UK grocery retail sector of introducing measures to (a) prohibit below-cost selling by supermarkets and (b) to ensure transparency in contracts between supermarkets and supplies;
	(3)  what measures her Department will take (a) to ensure transparency in commercial dealings between supermarkets and their suppliers and (b) to prohibit below-cost selling by supermarkets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answers 14 July 2003
	The Competition Commission (CC) monopoly report 'Supermarkets: A Report on the Supply of Groceries from multiple stores in the United Kingdom' was published on 10 October 2000. The CC concluded that the practice of persistent below-cost selling when conducted by supermarkets with market power, operates against the public interest. However, the CC stated that remedies to prevent below cost selling would require monitoring and intervention that would be disproportionate to the adverse effects they were designed to remedy. Therefore the CC made no recommendations for remedial action.
	Following the CC's report, the four supermarkets with a market share of 8 per cent. or over (Sainsbury, Asda Wal-Mart, Tesco and Safeway) gave legally binding undertakings to comply with a Code of Practice governing relations with their suppliers. The Code is intended to provide a framework for dealings between supermarkets and their suppliers. Terms of business must be transparent and available in writing.
	Supermarkets will not be able to change agreed terms without giving the supplier notice or compensation. The Code also includes a provision for an independent mediator, paid for by the supermarkets, to resolve disputes about the Code if the parties cannot do so themselves.
	The Office of Fair Trading is currently reviewing the Supermarket Code of Practice. They are expected to report later this summer. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will wait for the results of that review before deciding if any action is necessary.

Supermarkets

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will take steps to replace the supermarket Code of Practice with a statutory requirement for suppliers to offer the same contractual terms to all grocery retailers;
	(2)  what measures her Department will take to revise the Supermarket Code of Practice.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answers 14 July 2003
	Under UK competition law it is the responsibility of the Office of Fair Trading to review undertakings which arise from adverse findings in a monopoly investigation. The OFT is currently reviewing the Supermarket Code of Practice. They are expected to report later this summer. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will wait for the results of that review before deciding if any action is necessary.

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the companies and organisations that have made representations to her about the effect of the implementation of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive on the printer ink and toner cartridge recycling industry.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 11 July 2003
	Following a recent press article about these issues, my Department has received over fifty letters from the cartridge refilling industry and others, including a number from Cartridge World franchisees. My officials will be meeting the UK Cartridge Recycling Association later this month to discuss their concerns. They are also due to meet representatives of the larger cartridge manufacturers shortly.

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect of the implementation of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive on the printer ink and toner cartridge recycling industry.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 11 July 2003
	The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive (the WEEE Directive) does not prevent the reuse or refilling of printer cartridges.
	A number of printer ink and toner cartridge refill businesses have raised the concern, following a recent press article, that their operations may be put at risk if the scope of the Directive does not include these goods. My Department is looking at the points they have raised, bearing in mind our support for the reuse of printer cartridges and our desire to see this continue. My officials will shortly be meeting representatives of the cartridge recycling industry to explore their concerns.
	The refill industry has raised with us concerns related to existing technology applied to some of the goods currently sold, which prevents reuse. However, the WEEE Directive does not affect this.
	The European Commission has made clear that printer cartridges do not fall within the scope of the WEEE Directive, but considers that forthcoming EU legislation on eco-design may address the issues here. The Government agree with this assessment. In the meantime, if the spread of new technology specifically to prevent reuse begins to impinge significantly on the independent refill market, I would want to consider what additional action might be warranted.

World Trade Organisation

Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she will take to ensure that at the next World Trade Organisation meeting the issues to which developing countries give priority are resolved before consideration is given to the new issues, objected to by developing countries at Doha.

Mike O'Brien: We agree that it is necessary to address developing countries' interests as a matter of priority to ensure that the Doha Development Agenda is truly a development round.
	We hope to see the WTO Ministerial in Cancun secure agreement to a package of measures of interest to developing countries, including progress on agriculture and agreement on TRIPS and Public Health and on a series of measures on special and differential treatment.

Written Ministerial Statements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Department since 29 October 2002.

Patricia Hewitt: Up to 15 July, 72 written ministerial statements have been made by my Department.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

National Women's Conference (Iraq)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the national women's conference in Iraq on 9 July.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 15 July 2003, Official Report, columns 1718WS.

Armed Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister for Women what recent discussions she has had with the Minister for the armed forces with regard to the recruitment of women into the armed services.

Patricia Hewitt: I have not had specific discussions with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces about the recruitment of women into the armed forces. However, I understand that in FY 2002/03, the armed forces gained 3,230 new women recruits, an increase of 540 over the previous year.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Common Agricultural Policy

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the impact on Northern Ireland's agricultural industry of the outcome of the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Ian Pearson: I believe the agreement that has been reached is a good deal for Northern Ireland farmers. It creates a long term stable policy environment and will introduce a new era for the farming industry, with a much greater emphasis on production in response to the market. The option to fully decouple subsidies will free producers from farming for subsidies and provide a much more market-orientated approach. The days when farmers had to maintain, sometimes at a loss, a certain number of cattle or sheep to qualify for subsidies will shortly be at an end.
	Most importantly, the provision for regional discretion gives Northern Ireland sufficient flexibility in the implementation of the new arrangements to ensure outcomes which reflect fully the needs of its agricultural industry.
	On modulation, the UK will receive back at least 80 per cent. of the modulation monies raised, compared with 66 per cent. in the original Commission proposal.
	In the dairy sector, the agreement is closer to what the industry wanted. Quotas will be retained until 201415, the quota increases originally suggested for 2007 and 2008 havebeen suspended pending an outlook report to be conducted after the reforms are implemented, and the support price cuts, although starting a year earlier, are not as large as originally proposed, while compensation for the price cuts has been increased from 50 per cent. to over 80 per cent.
	The proposal for cereal price cuts reform was rejected and the only change is that monthly increments are halved. This will have minimal impact in Northern Ireland.
	It is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the impact of the deal on the industry. Many technical details remain to be finalised and there is uncertainty over the extent to which other countries will decouple. One of the expected benefits from a decoupled system is that, while production will fall, prices will rise. We will need to undertake substantialeconomic analysis and modelling before we agree final decisions with the industry.

Drugs Use (Education)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been allocated to educate young people in (a) North Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland against the dangers of drug use in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: It is not possible to quantify the amount of money spent on drug education for young people in schools, as drug education programmes are, for the most part, delivered as part of the statutory curriculum and funded through schools' normal LMS budgets. Additional funding has been provided as set out in the table. It is not possible to identify separately funding allocated to North Belfast.
	
		
		
			 Financial year Programme (29)GreaterBelfast area Northern Ireland 
		
		
			 199798 Northern Ireland Drugs CampaignClassroom resources/in-service training; 5,000 25,000 
			  (30)European Social Fund (ESF) assistance (through the Department for Employment and Learning) for nine Projects, which include drug education. 69,940  
			 199899 (30)ESF assistance 196,647 160,475 
			 19992000 (30)ESF assistance 466,876 177,785 
			 200001 (30)ESF assistance; Northern Ireland Drugs Strategy, including: 312,644  
			  Education and Library Board Drug Education Projectsemployment of field officers to develop resources and provide training; 70,000 408,000 
			  Public information campaigns;  (31)81,000 
			  Other (non DE) projects and programmes with an educational focus;  (31)287,500 
			 200102 (30)ESF assistance NI Drug Strategy (as above: 250,008  
			  Education and Library Board Drug Education Projects; 63,000 374,000 
			  Public Information Campaigns;  184,500 
			  Other (non DE) programmes and projects  (31)600,778 
			 200203 (30)ESF assistance; 171,004 73,468 
			  Public Information Campaigns  (31)437,955 
			  DEContinuation funding for Inter Board Project; 42,000 235,000 
			  Other (non DE) projects and programmes (30),(32)264,252 (31)993,888 
			 200304 (30)ESF assistance; 110,515 215,391 
			  DE funding for ELB Projects (Not yet allocated) 76,000 425,000 
			 200204 Northern Ireland Drug and Alcohol Strategyactivities agreed by the Education and Prevention Working Group (33) (34)350,000 
			(35)325,000 
			(36)35,000 
		
	
	(29) It is not possible to identify separately the North Belfast component of expenditure.
	(30) It is not possible to identify separately funding for the Drug Education component of expenditure.
	(31) (DHSSPS)
	(32) (DEL)
	(33) Cannot be separately identified.
	(34) Public Information Campaigns.
	(35) Training for Educators.
	(36) Revision of 'Misuse of Drugs' pack.

Energy Industry

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the long term contracts for Ballylumford power station and the Moyle interconnector have been refinanced; and what discussions he has had on the refinancing of the Scotland to Northern Ireland natural gas pipeline.

Ian Pearson: In 2000, the Ballylumford power station contract, entered into at the time of privatisation in 1992, was refinanced through a customer buyout.
	The Moyle interconnector was refinanced as a result of its sale on 14 April 2003, to a fully debt financed, not for profit company.
	The Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation is currently in discussion with the owners of the Northern Ireland to Scotland gas pipeline about the scope for introducing a similar not for profit structure for that interconnector.

Energy Industry

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will refinance the Ballylumford power station and the Moyle interconnector within the Northern Ireland energy industry.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him today to Question references 125190 and 125192.

Energy Industry

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action the Government have taken to minimise the cost to Northern Ireland electricity customers of energy industry debt; what the Government's plans are for reducing this cost on electricity customers; and when he estimates customers will benefit.

Ian Pearson: A working party of economists drawn from the Department of Finance and Personnel, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation has been examining options for the refinancing of energy assets and contracts, with a view to energy cost reductions for the consumer. It is expected to report shortly.
	The findings of the working group and the outcomes of the consultation papers Competition and Customer Empowerment published by the Regulator on 4 March 2003 and Towards a New Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland published by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on 17 April 2003 will shape future announcements in this area.

Higher Education

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what aspects of the Higher Education White Paper will be extended to Northern Ireland; and what the timetable is for the implementation of its proposals.

Jane Kennedy: It is my intention to consider carefully the implications for Northern Ireland of the DfES White Paper on the future of Higher Education in England over the next few months; to take into consideration the outcomes of the consultation process in England and discussions with local stakeholders including the Northern Ireland Higher Education Council; and to bring forward recommendations on the way forward in Northern Ireland in due course.

Post-primary Education

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of post-primary education in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: I have established a working group to provide advice and recommendations on options for future arrangements for post-primary education. The group has been asked to report by 31 October 2003. Decisions on future post-primary arrangements will not be taken until the group's advice has been considered.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Terrorism Act (Passenger Information)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to achieve international co-ordination of the passenger information required at ports of entry under section 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000;
	(2)  what progress has been made by the Government in putting in place the IT and other systems necessary to achieve successful implementation at UK airports of the requirements of section 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

David Blunkett: The Government has consulted a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the EU countries, about the implementation of the Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 (Information) Order 2002.
	We are making good progress on implementation and the police are working closely with Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and the Immigration Service to ensure a cohesive approach to the collection of information at all ports.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the average time taken between an application for an antisocial behaviour order and its subsequent court hearing in (a) England and Wales and (b) the West Midlands;
	(2)  what actions have been taken to reduce the length of time between application for antisocial behaviour orders and their subsequent hearing.

Hazel Blears: Information on the length to time taken between an application for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) and its subsequent hearing is not routinely collected. However, since ASBOs became available in April 1999, the Government has identified that in some cases the time between an application for an ASBO being made and the order being granted was too long.
	As such, we have taken a range of measures under the Police Reform Act 2002 to improve the effectiveness of ASBOs, enabling the courts to protect communities more quickly. Interim orders can be made at the same time as an ASBO application, orders on conviction and county court orders can avoid the need for a separate court hearing.
	In addition, the Government is working with agencies to spread good practice, the Judicial Studies Board has produced training to improve the courts' understanding and implementation of ASBOs and the Home Office has issued guidance to enable practitions to implement the Police Reform Act 2002 changes more effectively.

Asylum Seekers

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it took the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to process applications for (a) asylum, (b) indefinite leave to remain and (c) citizenship in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: (a) Asylum
	The average time between an asylum application and initial decision was six months for initial decisions made in the financial year 200203, compared with 20 months for April 1997. This has been calculated using all cases for which data are available, including older cases decided as part of the reduction of the number of outstanding cases, as well as new cases decided as part of normal work in progress.
	Information on the proportion of cases decided, up to and including final appeal, within six months, will be published in the Home Office's Annual Report in order to report on the Public Service Agreement (PSA) target 7 published in July 2002. Due to the nature of the target, performance data will not be available until more than six months following the relevant financial year. For example (subject to data quality) it is planned that performance against financial year 200304 will be reported at the end of November 2004, although provisional figures for applications made between April 2003 and September 2003 will be available earlier.
	Provisional data show that 73 per cent. of applications received in the period April to December 2002 had initial decisions reached and served within two months. 42 per cent. of asylum appeals received by the Immigration Appellant Authority in the period April to December 2002 were determined within 17 weeks (including those appeals also dealt with by the second tier of the IAA).
	Information on the proportion of new substantive applications with initial decisions made and served within two months, and information on the proportion of appeals received by the IAA which are dealt with within four months, is published in the quarterly asylum statistics, copies of which are available from the Library, published at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	(b) Indefinite leave to remain (settlement)
	There are no published data on decision times to determine applications for settlement. Our aim is to decide all straightforward applications within three weeks. Currently straightforward applications are being decided on initial consideration within threefour weeks on average. Most applications that cannot be decided on initial consideration are being decided within six months but because of the high intake there are some that are taking around 12 months to decide.
	(c) Citizenship
	Information on the current waiting times for citizenship applications are available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website www.ind.homeoffice. gov.uk/default.asp?Pageld=16, and is periodically updated. As at July 2003 the average length of time for a citizenship application to be processed in nine months.

Civil Defence

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure that the emergency services are prepared to deal with a terrorist attack in the UK.

David Blunkett: The UK has the necessary plans in place in the interests of national security and the protection of the public. The Government's preparations include a series of classified contingency plans for responding to a wide range of terrorist threats. These plans are regularly tested, reviewed and updated in the light of changing circumstances; this ensures that all agencies involved are prepared to respond to a terroristincident.
	The response to any terrorist incident relies upon a co-ordinated approach and the Government draws upon the resources and expertise of Government Departments, the security and intelligence agencies, the police, the military, the emergency services, local authorities and scientific and other specialist advice as necessary.
	I set out further details of the steps we have taken in my written Ministerial Statements on 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 72WS, 20 March 2003, column 51WS, and 3 July 2003, Official Report, column 25WS.
	My hon. Friend may also wish to refer to the generic guidance contained in the publication Dealing with Disaster which can be found on the UK Resilience website (www.ukresilience.info) and the Home Office website (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism).

Immigration

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will change the immigration rules to allow those with leave to remain of more than one year to submit family re-union applications.

Beverley Hughes: There is provision within the Immigration Rules for the family members of those persons admitted to the UK for the purpose of studies, training or work experience or employment to accompany or join them here. There is no qualifying period for family reunion applications under the non-asylum categories of the Immigration Rules.
	Family members of those recognised as refugees may apply immediately to join the sponsor in the UK. Family members of those granted Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave can apply to join them once the sponsor has been granted indefinite leave to remain. Those granted Humanitarian Protection are eligible to apply for indefinite leave after three years, and most of those with Discretionary Leave after six years. However, applications for family reunion may be considered before the sponsor has been granted indefinite leave to remain in those cases where there are compelling, compassionate circumstances. There is no intention to reduce the time qualification period for family reunion applications.

Mr. Nadhmi Auchi

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 19 May, Official Report, column 645W, on Mr. Nadhmi Auchi, 
	(1)  how many representations were received; who made the representations; and what the basis was of each representation;
	(2)  when he will reply to the question from the honourable Member for North Norfolk for written answer on Monday 16th June concerning Mr.Nadhmi Auchi.

Caroline Flint: I have replied today to the hon. Member's letter of 27 May about the case of Mr. Nadhmi Auchi, explaining that it is not our policy or practice to disclose either the names of those who take up a particular case or the basis on which they choose to do so.
	What I can say in an attempt to assist, is that any such representations as were to the general effect that an Authority to Proceed against Mr Auchi should not be issued. The full chronology of those who took up his case with us was as follows:
	11 September 2000
	An honourable Member made some factual enquiries.
	15 September 2000
	Mr. Audi's solicitors wrote to the Home Office.
	9 October 2000
	A second honourable Member wrote to Ministers at the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	25 October 2000,5 June 2001, 9 August, 2001 and on 17 October 2001
	Mr. Auchi's solicitors wrote to the Home Office.

National Asylum Support Service

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the findings of the independent review into the National Asylum Support Service announced on 7 March.

Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement on 15 July 2003, Official Report, column 30WS.

Work Permits

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the occupations were for which in-country work permits were issued in 2002, broken down by (a) number, (b) percentage share of the total number of work permits issued and (c) country of origin of recipients;
	(2)  what the primary occupations were for those to whom work permits were granted out of country to enter the UK in 2002, broken down by (a) number, (b) percentage share of the total number of work permits issued and (c) country of origin of recipients.

Beverley Hughes: Figures for the primary occupations for which the most in-country and out-of-country work permit applications have been issued in 2002, include figures for the top five nationalities for each occupation.
	The total number of out-of-country work permits issued for 2002 is 89,049. This is 58 per cent. of the total figure for all work permits issued in 2002.
	A copy of the tables will be placed in the Library.

SCOTLAND

Consultation Documents

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the consultation documents issued by the Scotland Office in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and how many responses were received in each consultation.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office has issued two consultation documents since 1999. The following table lists the requested information in respect of each document:
	
		
			  2001 2002 
			  The Size of the Scottish ParliamentA Consultation Sunday Workingin ScotlandA Consultation 
		
		
			 Cost () 1,007 331 
			 Copies issued 783 200 
			 Responses received 237 138

Departmental Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was to his Department for (a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	The cost of ministerial cars and drivers will be addressed in a letter from Mr. Nick Matheson, the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency, to the hon. Member.
	The cost of taxis for the Scotland Office was 9,244 in 19992000; 16,519 in 200001; 13,543 in 200102 and 15,266 (estimated) in 200203.
	The cost of rail travel was 37,970 in 19992000; 41,998 in 200001; 54,882 in 200102; and 70,140 (estimated) in 200203.
	The cost of air travel was 126,704 in 19992000; 227,024 in 200001; 222,568 in 200102 and 216,269 (estimated) in 200203.
	No expenditure has been incurred on the use of helicopters or chartered planes since 1 July 1999.
	All official travel was undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the departmental staff handbook and all Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Mobile Phones

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Since that date the cost of mobile phones supplied to ministers and officials was as follows:
	
		
			 Year  
		
		
			 19992000 6,464 
			 200001 17,566 
			 200102 8,174 
			 200203 10,135

Partnership Agreements

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether she plans to conclude a partnership agreement with the trade unions representing the staff in her Department.

Anne McGuire: Most staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive, which has a partnership agreement with the trade unions. The Scotland Office currently operates within the framework of that agreement.

Private Office Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the running costs have been of Ministers' private offices in his Department in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	In the period 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2000 the costs of running the ministerial private offices were not recorded separately. The costs of running Ministerial private offices after March 2000 were:
	
		
		
			  
		
		
			  
			 200001 522,721 
			 200102 614,146  
			 200203 (est.) 594,486

Security

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many documents are held by her Department that are subject to security classification, broken down by category of classification.

Anne McGuire: I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 7 May 2003, Official Report, column 696W.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff were employed by her Department in (a) 200102 and (b) 200203.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 4 April 2003, Official Report, column 891W.

Travel Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was of travel by train by staff in her Department in 2002.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office follows the conditions set out in the Civil Service Management Code which requires departments and agencies to ensure that staff use the most efficient and economical means of travel in the circumstances, taking into account any management benefit or the needs of staff with disabilities.
	The estimated cost of rail travel by staff in the Department in 200203 is 70,140.

Written Ministerial Statements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Scotland Office since 29 October 2002.

Anne McGuire: Three.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Document Classification

Harry Cohen: To ask the Advocate-General how many documents are held by her Department that are subject to security classification, broken down by category of classification.

Lynda Clark: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 7 May 2003, Official Report, column 696W.

Information Technology

John Pugh: To ask the Advocate-General 
	(1)  what new IT projects with a value in excess of 10,000 the Department has authorised in the last three financial years;
	(2)  how much the Department spent on IT (a) licences, (b) hardware, (c) maintenance and (d) software in the financial year 200203.

Lynda Clark: The information can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General how many staff were employed by her Department in (a) 200102 and (b) 200203.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 4 April 2003, Official Report, column 891W.

Staff Travel

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General what the cost was of travel by train by staff in her Department in 2002.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Scotland.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Abdullah Rehmani

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to locate the file of Mr. Abdullah Rehmani, the husband of Mrs. Baluch of Leicester, a constituent, and make a determination on the application.

Chris Mullin: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Ambassadors for British Business

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Ambassadors for British Business he has appointed since 2001.

Mike O'Brien: None.

British Nationals (Military Trials)

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of (a) the evidence, (b) the sources of the evidence and (c) the charges which the US military authorities intend to use in the cases of (i) Moazzam Begg and (ii) Feroz Abassi.

Chris Mullin: Mr. Begg and Mr. Abbasi have been designated as eligible for Military Commissions, but have not yet been charged. We have not had access to the information on which the designations have been based. We have made clear to the US authorities that we expect the process to comply with minimum fair trial standards under international law, including those relating to the examination of evidence.

Burma

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Burma on the situation in Karen; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We regularly press bilaterally with the Burmese regime and in international fora for a rapid improvement in the human rights situation for all the people of Burma. In April this year we co-sponsored the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights resolution on Burma which highlighted the disproportionate suffering of members of ethnic minorities, including the Karen. We will continue to put pressure on the Burmese military to move towards democracy and respect for human rights.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value of imports of gems and precious stones from Burma was in the past two financial years; and which companies imported these gems and precious stones.

Mike O'Brien: According to official statistics from HM Customs and Excise, no gems and precious stones have been imported to the UK from Burma in the past two financial years.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further measures have recently been discussed by the EU in response to the recent crackdown in Burma.

Mike O'Brien: With EU colleagues we strengthened and updated the EU Common Position on Burma on 16 June 2003. We are in regular contact with EU partners and are in discussion on what further steps we will take if the regime does not provide immediate satisfactory responses.

British Detainees (Guantanamo Bay)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much access time to (a) family members, (b) legal representatives, (c) religious representatives and (d) British Red Cross representatives is allowed to each British detainee at Camp Delta.

Chris Mullin: The British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay are not currently allowed access to family members or legal representatives but they do have access to a Muslim cleric. The International Committee of the Red Cross has access to the detainees on request.

British Detainees (Guantanamo Bay)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times Foreign Office officials have visited each British detainee at Camp Delta; and how long each meeting lasted.

Chris Mullin: British officials have visited Guantanamo Bay on five occasions. During each visit, all the British detainees who were held at that time at Guantanamo Bay were seen individually by British officials. Each meeting lasted up to one and a half hours.

British Detainees (Guantanamo Bay)

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay would be returned to the UK.

Chris Mullin: We have been informed that the US authorities have not made any decision on whether or not to return the British detainees to the UK. We continue to press the United States to resolve the position of the detainees.

British Detainees (Guantanamo Bay)

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions are being taken to determine the future of British citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay.

Chris Mullin: Ministers and officials continue to have regular discussions with the United States authorities about the British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. Two of the British detainees have been designated as eligible to be tried by Military Commissions. We have strong reservations about the Commissions. We have raised and will continue to raise these concerns energetically with the US, including with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell.
	We continue to press the United States to resolve the position of all the detainees, including the other seven British nationals in Guantanmo Bay.

British Detainees (Guantanamo Bay)

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his Answer of 8 July, ref.122612, on the welfare of British citizens in Guantanamo Bay, what the individual health concerns of the detainees are that the Government has raised with the US authorities; what the average delays in mail are; how much exercise the detainees are allowed; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: For reasons of confidentiality it would not be appropriate to give details of the individual health concerns of the British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. (This is reflected in Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information). We do keep in contact with the families concerned.
	Mail can take up to four or five months. The detainees are allowed a minimum of two 15-minute periods of exercise outside every week and are also able to exercise in their cells and communal areas. Some of the detainees are allowed to exercise outside more frequently. Although we do not consider the amount of exercise allowed to be sufficient, we understand that the situation is improving. We continue to raise both these issues with the US authorities.

Channel Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent communication he has had with the governments of (a) Guernsey and (b) Jersey;
	(2)  when he next plans to visit (a) Guernsey and (b) Jersey.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	My noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and I have not yet had any communication with the insular authorities in Jersey or Guernsey, but we look forward to doing so and to visiting the islands when this can be arranged. However, regular content is maintained with the interior authorities by officials in my Department and continuity has been ensured.

Convention on the Future of Europe

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the reference within the draft constitution prepared by the Convention on the Future of Europe to the European Union having exclusive competence over the conservation of marine biological resources under the Common Fisheries Policy covers exclusive competence within the (a) six-mile and (b) 12-mile limits.

Denis MacShane: The European Community has had exclusive competence over the conservation of marine biological resources under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) since 1979. This includes the six and 12-mile limit.
	However, under CFP Regulation EC 2371/2002 the Community permits member states to take their own measures on the conservation of marine resources within the six and 12-mile limit provided they conform with the Common Fisheries Policy. If the proposed measures are likely to have a discriminatory effect on vessels of another member state then the Commission and the relevant member state(s) need to be consulted in advance.
	The draft EU Constitutional Treaty does not alter this situation.

Darmesh and Rashik Jamiet

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received the papers relating to Darmesh (date of birth 27 February 1973) and Rashik (8 December 1977) Jamiet from Mumbai under Ref R/02/493840.

Chris Mullin: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Departmental Staff

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for redeployment of members of his Department out of London and the south-east.

Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no immediate plans to redeploy any of our officers although, as with all Government Departments, we regularly examine the feasibility of locating staff where it makes most qualitative and financial sense.

European Constitution

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the inclusion of the EURATOM treaty in the draft EU constitution.

Denis MacShane: The Convention on the Future of Europe has not proposed to include the EURATOM treaty in its draft Constitutional Treaty. It proposes to keep EURATOM as a separate, free-standing treaty, but to bring some of its provisions, such as those concerning its institutions, in line with changes to the EU proposed by the Constitutional Treaty. These proposals will be discussed in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference.

European Constitution

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the representation of British interests overseas of the appointment of an overall EU Foreign Minister.

Denis MacShane: The EU already has a High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and an External Relations Commissioner, who represent different aspects of EU business overseas. The draft Constitution proposes the creation of a European Foreign Minister who would combine these two roles on behalf of the European Union. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary would continue to represent British interests overseas.

Independent Monitor

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons have applied for the post of Independent Monitor.

Chris Mullin: There were 82 applications for the post of Independent Monitor.

Organ Trafficking

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with European colleagues regarding organ trafficking (a) across Europe and (b) on a global level; and what proposals there are to tackle this practice.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department of Health, together with colleagues in the Home Office, is negotiating a draft European Union Framework Decision on the prevention and control of trafficking in human organs and tissues.
	In addition, the Department has been working with the 45 member states of the Council of Europe, which includes the member states of the European Union, to develop a recommendation on steps to be taken to minimise the risk of organ trafficking throughout the area.
	The United Nations has also developed an Additional Protocol to the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime dealing with the trafficking of persons. It makes it a criminal offence to traffic a person for the purpose of removing an organ. The Protocol has yet to come into force.

Departmental Policies (Pendle)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policies (a) initiated and (b) managed by his Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the United Kingdom Government Department responsible for foreign affairs. Its aim is to work for the United Kingdom's interests in a safe, just, and prosperous world. Achievement of these aims will benefit all areas of the United Kingdom, including Pendle.
	More specifically, the FCO is responsible for relations with the EU. Under the 200006 European Structural Funding Programmes Pendle is currently receiving 2.6 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for its Objective 2, Priority 2 (People and Communities) Action Plan. This seeks to promote social and economic integration and improved living and working conditions for people in low-income, discriminated and other excluded groups.
	Pendle is also receiving 0.9 million from the European Social Fund for training and employment projects complementary to projects supported under Priority 2, via direct bids to Government Office.
	The wards of Boulsworth, Coates, Craven, Earby, Foulridge and Pendleside are in the Lancashire Leader Plus area which as a whole is receiving 2.2 million from the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund to provide a greater range of local services and employment opportunities within rural communities and to open up new market opportunities for rural goods.
	Pendle is in the East Lancashire Objective 2, Priority 1 Action Plan area, which as a whole is allocated 20 millon ERDF to provide business support activity to improve competitiveness across the East Lancashire area.

Public Diplomacy Team

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the size is of his public diplomacy team.

Mike O'Brien: There are currently 25 employees working in the Public Diplomacy Policy Department.
	In 2002 there were 144 UK based staff and 144.41 locally engaged staff who spend 50100 per cent. of their time covering this function in our overseas Posts. The figures are not yet available for this year.

Zimbabwe (Elias Mudzuri)

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made representations to the Government of Zimbabwe about the recent arrest of Elias Mudzuri; what further action his Department intends to take; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The British High Commission in Harare have been in close touch with Mr. Mudzuri throughout this episode. He has not asked us to make representations on his behalf. We are well aware of the Government of Zimbabwe's persistent harassment of key opposition figures like Mr. Mudzuri. He briefed FCO officials, during a visit to the UK in June, on the considerable difficulties he faces. We underlined that we would continue to support all Zimbabweans working for a return to democracy and the rule of law. We will continue to monitor developments closely.

DEFENCE

Service Accommodation (Council Tax)

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedure is in place to assist those service personnel who are paying both contributions in lieu of council tax and full council tax on a private residence, and require representations making to their local authority for a council tax reduction.

Ivor Caplin: The Ministry of Defence writes to the local authority in support of the representation.

Deepcut Barracks

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the extent of the supply and use of illicit drugs at Deepcut barracks over the last five years; how many personnel were tested; how many tests proved positive; what disciplinary action resulted; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1030W. Of the 24 individuals who tested positive (two tested twice on different occasions), one has been retained in Service, 14 have been administratively discharged for drug offences and nine administratively discharged for other reasons.

Defence Medical Services

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 April 2003, Official Report, column 567W, what the cost of the Defence Medical Services was in each year from 199596, in 200304 prices.

Ivor Caplin: Further to the answer of 14 April 2003, Official Report, column 567W, the cost of the Defence Medical Services (DMS) in each of the years from 199596 to 200203 at 200304 prices is as follows:
	
		Cost of Defence Medical Services (DMS) -- 
		
			  Cost of DMS at 200304 prices 
		
		
			 199596 405.43 
			 199697 305.58 
			 199798 316.11 
			 199899 328.61 
			 19992000 353.21 
			 200001 359.67 
			 200102 368.23 
			 200203 407.85 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures were calculated using the GDP deflator published by HM Treasury.

Defence Medical Services

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the pay differential is between doctors serving in Band three in the NHS and doctors serving in Band three posts in the DMS; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: It is difficult to make an accurate comparison between the pay of doctors in the Defence Medical Services (DMS) and doctors in the NHS serving in Band three posts as this would depend on a number of factors, such as their stage of training and their incremental level on the pay structure. Account would also need to be taken of the X-factor paid to DMS doctors, the non-contributory nature of the armed forces pension scheme and the fact that DMS junior doctors' pay includes an element for NHS out of hours payments.
	From their assessment of pay comparability following the introduction of the NHS pay Banding system on 1 December 2000, the armed forces Pay Review Body recommended a supplementary pro rata payment of 5,000 to DMS doctors under training for the period 1 December 2000 to 31 March 2002. The question of supplementary payments for subsequent years will be addressed in the Department's annual papers of evidence to the Review Body.

International Festival of the Sea

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy warships will be taking part in the International Festival of the Sea this year.

Ivor Caplin: HMS Southampton, HMS Tyne, HMS Example and HMS Archer took part in the Leith International Festival of the Sea between 23 and 26 May 2003.

Iraq

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long fresh troops sent to Iraq will have for acclimatisation in Iraq before being committed to operational duties; and what period is recommended in medical advice.

Adam Ingram: Following an initial acclimatisation period of between three to five days, United Kingdom military personnel deploying to Iraq for operational duties gradually increase their work intensity in accordance with in theatre risk assessments. UK military medical advice does not specify a set acclimatisation period, however, personnel are not considered folly acclimatised until they have spent 10 days undergoing activity of a similar level, in the same environmental conditions, at which they will be expected to continue to work.

Iraq

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of (a) dehydration and (b) heat exhaustion there have been among UK armed forces in Iraq since the start of the recent conflict; and whether, in any of these cases, inadequate time for acclimatisation for fresh troops in theatre has been deemed a cause.

Adam Ingram: There have been 286 reports of heat related illnesses among British forces deployed on Operation Telic since the start of the conflict. The majority of these cases are assessed as heat stroke due to the ambient environmental conditions. Other personnel are more susceptible to heat stress as a result of the effects of another illness such as diarrhoea.
	Following an initial acclimatisation period of between three to five days, United Kingdom military personnel deploying to Iraq for operational duties gradually increase their work intensity in accordance with in theatre risk assessments. UK military medical advice does not specify a set acclimatisation period, however, personnel are not considered fully acclimatised until they have spent 10 days undergoing activity of a similar level, in the same environmental conditions, at which they will be expected to continue to work. In addition, all troops are made aware of the guidance on the dangers of working in hot conditions, and the measures that are to be taken to prevent heat illness.

Iraq

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists are deployed in Iraq and Kuwait.

Ivor Caplin: As at 11 July 2003, there were 4,219 reservists mobilised to support Operation Telic. While the majority were based in the Gulf region, this figure also includes reservists directly supporting Operation Telic based elsewhere, such as in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, or Germany. A number were also either undergoing pre-deployment training or post deployment leave prior to demobilisation.

Iraq

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers lost their lives during the recent conflict in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: As of 10 July 2003 43 United Kingdom service personnel had died since the start of Coalition military operations against Iraq. 34 were killed in action or subsequently died of wounds received and nine died in non-battle accidents or from natural causes.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the Iraqi prisoners of war captured by British forces have been (a) designated unlawful combatants and (b) transferred to other facilities outside Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As of 15 July 2003, the United States is holding one prisoner of war and 71 other persons captured by British forces, who are either suspected of committing criminal offences or are interned where necessary for imperative reasons of security in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention. All other British captured prisoners of war have been released under the supervision of British forces, and with the knowledge of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The United Kingdom does not use the designation unlawful combatant.

War Detainees

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the detainees held at (a) Guantanamo, (b) Bagram Airbase and (c) Diego Garcia were originally captured by British forces; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: No detainees are held at Diego Garcia. Of the detainees held at Bagram and at Guantanamo Bay, none were captured by British forces.

Mobile Phones

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Ivor Caplin: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		Cost of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials --  millions
		
			 (January to December) Total Cost(37) 
		
		
			 1999 2.637 
			 2000 2.656 
			 2001 2.368 
			 2002 3.395 
		
	
	(37) Cost of equipment, call charges and access charges.
	Information for 1997 and 1998 is not available. All figures quoted are exclusive of VAT. The figures also exclude a number of Ministry of Defence users with local agreements who use other networks. Information on this expenditure is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Porton Down

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 June 2003, Official Report, column 451W, on Porton Down, if he will provide information on specific breeds from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in a similar form to that supplied by the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in a letter to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South of 22 July 1998 (Ref DERA/SEC/S/1/255/98).

Ivor Caplin: As my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Moonie) indicated to the hon. Member in his response of 4 June 2003, Official Report, column 451W, more detailed information on the specific breeds used is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In general terms, the breeds of animals used in scientific procedures from 19972002 are as follows:
	
		Breeds of animals used in scientific procedures 19972002
		
			 Species Breeds commonly used at DSTL Porton Down. 
		
		
			 Mouse Mainly BALB/C, also Porton mouse, hybrids 
			 Pig Large White Cross 
			 Sheep Polled Dorset 2000 and 2001, previously mules and cross breeds 
			 Rat Porton Wistar 
			 Macaque Rhesus 
			 Marmoset Common 
			 Goat No one particular breed 
			 Guinea pig Dunkin Hartley 
			 Hamster Syrian 
			 Rabbit Now all New Zealand White, previously also Dutch belted.

Service Deployments

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the (a) Army, (b) RAF and (c) Naval Service is (i) preparing for, (ii) recovering from and (iii) deployed on operations.

Ivor Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Service Personnel (Alcohol Expenditure)

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent investigation he has made of alcohol consumption levels in the armed forces; and what alcohol education measures are being taken.

Ivor Caplin: There has been no recent specific investigation into alcohol consumption levels in the armed forces. The armed forces employ vigorous education programmesincluding pamphlets, films and lecturesat all stages of military training and Service to promote sensible drinking, and to ensure that personnel are aware of the dangers of alcohol misuse. The programmes are regularly reviewed and updated as necessary, and are complemented by administrative and disciplinary measures to deter alcohol misuse within the Services.

Suez Medal

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations have been made to his Department by veterans of the Suez campaign regarding eligibility for a Suez Medal Clasp.

Ivor Caplin: Since 11 June, when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced in the House that the Naval General Service Medal 191562 and the General Service Medal 191862 would be awarded for service in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954, the Ministry of Defence received 4,896 representations. These consisted of 4,790 applications for the medal to the four single Service medal offices, eight parliamentary questions, 44 letters from hon. Members and 54 letters from members of the public. In addition, there have been an unknown number of telephone calls to the Ministry of Defence about the new medal.

Territorial Army

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the Territorial Army remains available for mobilisation; how many TA soldiers this represents; and what proportion of the Territorial Army will be available for mobilisation at the start of 2004.

Ivor Caplin: Taking into account those personnel who have, (a) already been mobilised for operational deployment; (b) are considered not yet Fit For Role (defined as the minimum level of training required for mobilisation); (c) are serving on full-time reserve Service: or (d) have already been deployed at some point over the last three years 1 ; some 12,000 soldiers, or 30 per cent. of the Territorial Army remain available for compulsory mobilisation.
	This figure does not take into account those members of the TA who would be prepared to volunteer to be mobilised, which could lead to a marked increase of the overall number of personnel available for mobilisation.
	It is not possible to provide an accurate picture of what this figure will be in January 2004, as too many variables exist. We continue to keep the situation under review.
	1 Members of the TA may be compulsorily mobilized for 12 months over a three-year period, extendable in certain circumstances.

Written Ministerial Statements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Department since 29 October 2002.

Ivor Caplin: The Ministry of Defence has made 108 written ministerial statements since 29 October 2002 up to and including 15 July 2003.

HEALTH

Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy on the conclusions of the 1994 House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics on the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Rosie Winterton: The question of whether of not to legalise euthanasia was considered in great detail by the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, reporting in 1994. The Committee concluded that the practice of euthanasia could not be supported, partly because of the difficulties in setting secure limits on voluntary euthanasia and also because of concerns that vulnerable people might feel pressure, whether real or imagined, to request early death. The Government's position has been that it shares the views of the Committee, that any proposal to change the law in this area would need to be considered very carefully and that we have no plans to change the current law.

Aston Hall Hospital

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital resources will be made available to ensure that the reprovisioning of Aston Hall hospital proceeds.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer my hon. Friend to the response I gave him on 1 July 2003, Official Report, column 227W.

Boarding Schools

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been received about boarding provision at (a) Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference and Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools boarding schools and (b) all boarding schools in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is available only centrally since 1 April 2002, when the National Care Standards Commission came into operation.
	Since April 2002, there have been six complaints about schools who are members of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference and Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools boarding schools and nine complaints about other boarding schools.

Cancer Services

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made to appoint more cancer nurse specialists.

John Hutton: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 10 July 2003, Official Report, column 100102W.

Cancer Services

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much blood transfusions for cancer patients cost the NHS in each of the last five years; and what the main costs were;
	(2)  how many cancer patients have had their chemotherapy postponed in the last year because of bed shortages;
	(3)  what estimate he has made in the last year of the number of bed days that would be saved if alternatives to blood transfusions were used for cancer patients;
	(4)  what information on blood transfusion and its alternatives is provided to cancer patients who are being treated for anaemia-related fatigue.

Melanie Johnson: Information on the cost to the national health service of blood transfusions for cancer patients and on the numbers of cancer patients who have had their chemotherapy treatment postponed due to bed shortages is not collected centrally.
	The Department does not collect data centrally that would enable it to make an accurate assessment of the potential economic benefits, such as saved bed days, of using alternatives to blood transfusions.
	There is a national patient information leaflet published earlier this year and produced by the National Blood Service for patients who may receive a blood transfusion. The leaflet includes a section on alternatives to blood transfusionsalthough this is directed principally at surgical rather than cancer patients. When the leaflet is next reviewed, consideration will be given to providing more information on other possible alternatives to blood transfusion. In addition, guidance on information provision for cancer patients will be included in supportive and palliative care guidance currently being produced by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. We expect the guidance to be published early next year.

Delayed Discharge

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are waiting in hospitals in (a) Chesham and Amersham and (b) Buckinghamshire for placements in care homes.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally at that level. However, at the fourth quarter of 200203, there were 47 people occupying an acute hospital bed and waiting for placement in a care home in the Thames Valley Health Authority area.

Delayed Discharge

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with local authority social services departments regarding the funding of care homes.

Stephen Ladyman: I have not yet had discussions with particular local authorities regarding the funding of care homes. I am, however, aware that the care home sector has been experiencing financial difficulties. That is why we are giving local councils record levels of funding. Resources for social services have increased by 20 per cent. in real terms between 199697 and 200203, an average of over 3 per cent. per annum and will continue to increase over the next three years by an average of 6 per cent. per annum in real terms. Local councils will be able to use these substantial extra resources to increase local provision or to rebalance the care home market and increase fee levels if that is what is needed.

Delayed Discharge

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has issued to care home proprietors faced with (a) the need to appoint staff to meet statutory requirements and (b) delays in processing Criminal Records Bureau clearances.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 15 July 2003
	The Department has not issued formal guidance to care home providers about what to do when the processing application of the application for a criminal record disclosure takes longer than normal. Under the Care Standards Act all care homes in England are regulated by the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC). It is for the NCSC to satisfy itself that care homes conform to statutory requirements and the commission provides appropriate guidance to providers on meeting the requirements.
	The performance of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has now greatly improved. In the week ending 5 July, the CRB issued 95 per cent. of standard disclosures within two weeks and 94 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within four weeks, against a service standard of 90 per cent. in each case.
	However, for those occasions when, for whatever reason, the issue of a disclosure may take longer than normal the NCSC has published guidance for care provider. This is available on its website at www.carestandards.org.uk.

Charges Policy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government policy is on charges for health services.

John Hutton: Treatment provided by the national health service is free at the point of delivery, except in cases where specific legislation has been passed allowing a charge to be made. The current services for which a charge can be made are:
	prescriptions
	dental services
	the supply of optical appliances by the hospital eye service
	treatment of private patients
	treatment of overseas visitors
	appliances such as wigs and fabric supports
	The NHS can also charge for the provision of accommodation and services for private resident and non-resident patients.
	In addition to the above, NHS hospitals can charge for certain patient services using income generation powers. However, a charge can only be made where the service is considered to be additional treatments over and above the normal service provision. Any item or service that is considered to be an integral part of a patient's treatment by their clinician will remain free of charge.

Children's Hospices

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children's hospices (a) within and (b) outside the NHS.

Stephen Ladyman: There are currently 28 children's hospices in England, all of which are run by voluntary organisations.

Commission for Patient andPublic Involvement in Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 3 July 2003, Official Report, columns 47778W, what arrangements are in place to ensure confidential and personal information not required by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health is destroyed or otherwise kept secure.

Rosie Winterton: Guidance on the retention and disposal arrangements for Community Health Council (CHC) records, including secure handling of confidential records, was issued to CHCs on 17 June 2003. Based on the principles of this guidance, more detailed guidance has subsequently been issued locally.

Criminal Records Checks

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of delays in handling checks by the Criminal Records Bureau on the NHS.

John Hutton: The national health service has faced some minor problems when recruiting new staffas a result of the operating difficulties at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). We have agreed a number of arrangements with the CRB to expedite the clearance of disclosure applications for NHS staff. The performance of the CRB has now greatly improved. In the week ending 5 July, the CRB issued 95 per cent., of standard disclosures within two weeks and 94 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within four weeks, against a service standard of 90 per cent. in each case. These arrangements and the CRB's improved performance has enabled the NHS to manage delays at the CRB without any significant adverse effect on patient services.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department gives to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis in children.

Stephen Ladyman: Advice has been issued for groups of people at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis during air travel, where freedom of movement may be restricted for periods of time. Risk increases with age and with the presence of various health and life style factors. These are described on the Departments website at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/dvt/. Advice is also available by phoning NHS Direct. Children are not at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis unless there is a pre-existing medical condition or history which predisposes them to develop this condition. In this event, advice on how to minimise the risk will be provided by the clinical staff responsible for the child's care.

Dentists

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are taken to recoup the value of NHS-funded equipment from those dentists who choose to go private.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 15 July 2003
	General dental service (GDS) dentists are paid fees which cover both their income and expenses. The expense element of the fees covers the cost of the equipment as it is used. The equipment is owned by the dentist. Most dentists who do private work also continue to do GDS work.
	Dentists may also qualify for special capital grants payments through incentive schemes which operate from time to time. Conditions for such schemes have generally included a requirement to maintain or increase national health service commitment and a term allowing recovery of payments, if these requirements are not complied with.

Dentists

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS registered dentists are working within the London borough of Wandsworth.

John Hutton: The number of national health service dentists within the Wandsworth Primary Care Trust in the general dental service (GDS), salaried service of the GDS, community and hospital dental services at 30 September 2002 are shown in the table.
	
		NHS Dental Services: Number of Dentists at 30 September 2002
		
			  Wandsworth PCT 
		
		
			 General dental service (GDS)(38) 130 
			 Salaried service of the GDS 4 
			 Community dental service 26 
			 Hospital dental service 18 
		
	
	(38) GDS covers Principals on the Health Authority list, Assistants and Vocational Dental Practitioners.

Eating Disorders

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the new specialist services set up to treat patients with anorexia as a result of the report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists on eating disorders in 1998.

Rosie Winterton: The report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists was published in 2001 and has contributed to two new pieces of work into this very serious disorder.
	The National Development Group for Specialised Services, chaired by Professor Appleby, the National Director for Mental Health, has recently reviewed this issue and will report its findings in the autumn.
	In addition, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is preparing guidelines for the treatment of anorexia. These are expected to be issued towards the end of this year.
	It is anticipated that proposals for service development will emerge from these three important pieces of work.

Eating Disorders

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many deaths there were of patients suffering from anorexia, broken down by age, in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the average cost was of treating a patient suffering from anorexia in each of the last three years;
	(3)  what the waiting time for patients with anorexia was to see a consultant in each primary care trust in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: Anorexia is a severe condition, mainly but not exclusively, affecting younger women, which can lead to death in about 15 per cent. of cases. It may affect as many as 1 per cent. of women and is a matter of considerable concern to the Department of Health.
	A new group, the National Development Group for Specialised Services, chaired by the National Director for Mental Health, Professor Appleby, have recently reviewed this issue and will report their findings in the autumn.
	In addition, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is preparing guidelines for the treatment of anorexia and these are expected to be issued towards the end of this year. Unfortunately, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data, which relate to diagnostic information for in-patients in national health service hospitals who have finished their hospital episodes under the care of a consultant specialist, are not collected in a form that reliably permits breakdown of the statistics on deaths following admission to hospital by diagnostic category.
	Treatment costs associated with the care of such patients are normally be spread across primary care as well as secondary specialised services and information about overall cost is not captured in a way that permits analysis by diagnostic category.
	Furthermore, summary information about waiting times to see a consultant psychiatrist is collected, but this is not broken down by diagnostic category.

Eating Disorders

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where specialist services treating patients with anorexia are based.

Rosie Winterton: Anorexia is a severe condition, mainly but not exclusively affecting younger women, which can lead to death in as many as 15 per cent. of cases. It may affect as many as one per cent. of women, and is a matter of considerable concern to the Department of Health.
	The most recent survey indicates that there are approximately 70 units in the national health service and the independent sector specialising in eating disorders, including anorexia.
	There continues to be a bias in provision towards the south-east of the country, with the south-west and north-east of England, as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland having the fewest services in proportion to their populations.
	A new group, the National Development Group for Specialised Services, chaired by Professor Appleby, the National Director for Mental Health, has recently reviewed this issue and will report its findings in the autumn.
	In addition, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is preparing guidelines for the treatment of anorexia. These are expected to be issued towards the end of this year.

Emergency Planning

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the capacity of primary care trusts to undertake their emergency planning roles.

John Hutton: The Department of Health has not received any representations on the capacity of primary care trusts (PCTs) to undertake their emergency planning roles.
	The review of major incident planning capacity carried out by the Department earlier this year revealed that PCTs have satisfactory emergency planning arrangements in place against eight set criteria: clarity, coherence, contingencies, collaboration, credibility, capability, communications and commitment.
	The outcome of the review is now being used to develop a programme of work to further strengthen emergency planning in the national health service. This includes revised guidance, currently being developed by the Department, the Health Protection Agency and the NHS. The guidance will be issued shortly.

Emergency Planning

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with plans for a poster campaign advising what to do in the event of a chemical or biological attack; and if he will make a statement on other plans to inform the public (a) in preparation for and (b) in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident.

John Hutton: Public communications on issues including health in preparation for and in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incident are planned and co-ordinated in a cross-Government context. The Department of Health is working closely with the Home Office CBRN Resilience Team and Government Information and Communication Service (GIGS) in the Cabinet Office.Information about terrorism and sensible measures for emergencies are available on the Home Office terrorism website. Further details on chemical and biological deliberate releases are also available on the Department of Health and Health Protection Agency websites.
	Information and advice to the public will be made available in the event of a discernible threat of a specific incident.

Endometriosis

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of endometriosis was in the Thames Valley Health Authority in the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The incidence of endometriosis for 200102, the last year for which figures are available, for the Thames Valley Health Authority is shown in the table.
	
		Primary Diagnosis (ICD10 N80) Endometriosis: Finished consultant episodes -- Count of finished admission episodes by selected health authorities (HAs) of treatment. NHS Hospitals, 200102
		
			 Health authorityof treatment Description Total episodes 
		
		
			 QA7 Berkshire HA 161 
			 QA8 Buckinghamshire HA 211 
			 QCE Oxfordshire HA 168 
			 Total Thames Valley (39) 540 
		
	
	(39) Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority was created in April 2002 by the merger of the three HAs quoted above.
	Notes
	1. Admissions are defined as the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. Figures have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data is ungrossed).
	3. The primary diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	Source
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health, England.

Epilepsy

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of misdiagnoses of epilepsy in England over the last three years.

Stephen Ladyman: We have not made an estimate of the number or proportion of people misdiagnosed with epilepsy in England over the last three years. However, recent reports from the Clinical Standards Advisory GroupServices for Patients with Epilepsy (2000) and the Chief Medical OfficerOn the State of the Public Health (2001) showed that around 20 per cent. of people receiving inappropriate and unnecessary treatment. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is developing a clinical guideline for the diagnosis, management and treatment of epilepsy, which is due in June 2004 and which will help address any shortfalls in current practice.

Food Safety

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Food Standards Agency's strategy for ensuring food safety through the testing of food samples at public analyst laboratories;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the numbers of (a) tests of food samples and (b) public analyst laboratories.

Melanie Johnson: It is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to monitor the food sampling carried out under the Food Safety Act 1990 by local authorities. I am aware that the FSA has raised its concerns about the general decline in food sampling and the wide variation in sampling levels between authorities. Given the importance of food sampling and analyses as part of a local authority food law enforcement service, I am pleased to note that the FSA is taking forward a number of initiatives in close liaison with local authorities and the Association of Public Analysts to address these concerns and to ensure that food sampling contributes effectively to consumer protection. Initiatives include:
	Working with Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services and the Association of Public Analysts to develop better coordination and targeting of UK food sampling activity;
	Auditing local authorities with low levels of sampling activity and requiring remedial action plans;
	A specific audit programme focused on sampling arrangements including visits to Public Analyst and Health Protection Agency laboratories to help identify key actions necessary to address sampling activity;
	Developing a UK Samples Database to help local authorities and the Agency target sampling programmes effectively; and
	New guidance on food sampling for local authority enforcement officers.
	I am aware that the Association of Public Analysts has expressed concerns about the impact that declining sampling levels have had on the viability of certain individual public analyst laboratories. Relevant initiatives being taken forward by the FSA to improve local authority food sampling activity are being carried out in close liaison with the Association of Public Analysts to help ensure appropriate laboratory capacity and analytical capabilities.
	A paper on food sampling was discussed by the FSA Board at an open meeting on 10 July 2003 at Kensington Town Hall.

Food Supplements

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implications of the Food Supplements Directive for the availability of food supplements.

Melanie Johnson: It is not yet possible to determine the true impact of the Directive on the future continued availability of products currently on the United Kingdom market, which will depend on future developments on maximum limits and lists of permitted nutrients and nutrient sources. The Government recognise that some products will be lost from the UK market from 1 August 2005 because of restrictions on nutrient sources which will apply from that date.
	Article 5 of Directive 2002/46/EC on Food Supplements sets out principles for setting European Union maximum limits for vitamins and minerals in food supplements, although no specific figures have yet been set. Discussion on maximum limits at EU level will follow publication of advice from the European Food Safety Authority. We do not expect the European Commission to issue its proposal on maximum limits before the end of this year.

Foundation Hospitals

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what way foundation hospitals in England will be accountable to their patients from Wales.

John Hutton: holding answer 7 July 2003
	Subject to meeting minimum legislative requirements, as set out in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, national health service foundation trusts will have flexibility to ensure local accountability. A NHS foundation trust would be able to define its membership community to include patients in Wales and would have the flexibility to provide a place on the Board of Governors for Welsh commissioners if that was appropriate.

General Practitioners

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are per head of population in England.

John Hutton: The number of all general medical practitioners, all practitioners per head of population and all practitioners per 100,000 population in England as at 30 September 2002 is shown in the table.
	
		All General Medical Practitioners(40) in England,as at 30 September 2002
		
			 England Numbers (headcount) 
		
		
			 All Practitioners(40) 32,292 
			 All Practitioners per head of population 0.0007 
			 All Practitioners per100,000 population 65.4 
		
	
	(40) All Practitioners includes CMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (para 52 SFA), PMS Other and GP Retainers.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	Government Actuary's Department (GAD) 2001 based resident population projections for mid year 2002.

General Practitioners

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for general practitioners there are in the London borough of Wandsworth.

John Hutton: There are 6.5 general practitioner vacancies in Wandsworth.

Homeless People

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of homeless people are registered with general practitioners.

John Hutton: holding answer 15 July 2003
	This information is not held or collected centrallydata on the number of homeless people do not include information on how many are registered with a general practitioner and general practice registration data do not identify those who are homeless.

Infant Infection

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about measures being taken to reduce the risk of babies being infected by Group B streptococcus; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) makes recommendations to Ministers on all aspects of screening programmes. The NSC has advised that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that routine screening of all pregnant women in the United Kingdom and treating those carrying Group B Streptococcus with intravenous antibiotics during labour would be beneficial. The NSC has however commissioned an assessment of the existing evidence on screening against the criteria used to assess potential screening programmes. At the adjournment debate on this issue on 9 July 2003, Ministers asked the NSC to review the position thoroughly as quickly as possible and to consider recommendations at its meeting in December 2003.

Infectious Patients

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 June 2003, Official Report, column 721W, on infectious patients, if he will publish the results of the risk assessments undertaken in 2000.

Melanie Johnson: These risk assessments were not collected centrally. Chief executives in acute national health service trusts were required to:
	undertake a risk assessment to determine appropriate provision of isolation facilities within the trust; and
	agree the level and type of provision with the regional office.

IT Procurement

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Shires Acute and Community Hospital EPR Procurement Programme was terminated.

John Hutton: The Shires Electronic Patient Records (EPR) procurement did not proceed to final award of contract primarily on grounds of affordability. This was a local procurement that decided it did not have sufficient funds to cover the costs and contract for the first three years.
	The National Programme for Information Technology (NpfIT) in the national health service is currently procuring an integrated care records service, which will provide, as part of its first phase, the functionality that the Shires EPR would have delivered. The national procurement approach will provide better value for money for taxpayers.

IT Procurement

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on IT procurement policy for the NHS;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on IT procurement policy in (a) the south-west region and (b) the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority area;
	(3)  what role Integrated Line Records Services will play within future IT procurement policy.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 July 2003
	The approach to procurement for the National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) in the national health service was published in January 2003 and can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/ipu/whatnew/procapp.pdf
	NPfIT is currently managing a national procurement for an integrated care records service (ICRS). An Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC) contract notice was issued on 31 January 2003 and we are now evaluating pre-qualified bidders responses before proceeding to shortlist. It is proceeding as rapidly as good practice allows.
	Phase 1 of ICRS to December 2004 will provide clinicians, whether they are in primary, community or secondary care settings, with the capability to email, browse internet/intranet sites, view basic clinical information relating to their patients (demographics), electronically transfer limited clinical correspondence, laboratory reports and some radiology results. New ICRS solutions will also provide integrated support for national service framework data collection.
	Procurement in the South West will be part of national arrangements designed to minimise risk and maximise value for money in the NHS by the award of contracts to local service providers. For the provision of IT services by local service providers, England will be grouped into five geographic clusters based upon the pairing of geographically adjoining Government Office regions and will each incorporate a number of strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	There will be a total of five contracts awarded and a maximum of five local service providers covering: London; North East, Yorkshire and Humberside; South East and South West; East of England and East Midlands; West Midlands and North West. The first two contracts will be awarded by the end of October 2003 to London and North East, Yorkshire and Humberside.
	Each SHA will have a relationship with a dedicated local service provider to provide a range of applications, systems and services and will be responsible for integrating or replacing the computer systems needed to support the clinical applications being delivered by the NPfIT. Each local service provider will also have responsibility for the management of legacy systems as part of their overall remit.

Knee and Hip Replacements

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 1 July 2003, Official Report, column 232W, on knee and hip joints, what auditing procedures are in place for charges made to NHS and private patients for the parts used in knee and hip joint replacement operations.

John Hutton: All national health service trusts are required to have in place financial management and audit arrangements. These aim to ensure that private patients are correctly charged for the goods and services they receive, including prostheses used in hip and knee replacements. NHS patients are not charged for their treatment or for the prostheses.

Midwives

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age of midwives was in each year since 1990.

John Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): average age of qualified midwives in England as at 30 September for specified years -- Headcount
		
			  Average age of qualified midwives(41) 
		
		
			 1990 38 
			 1991(42)  
			 1992(42)  
			 1993(42)  
			 1994 38 
			 1995 39 
			 1996 39 
			 1997 39 
			 1998 40 
			 1999 40 
			 2000 41 
			 2001 41 
			 2002 41 
		
	
	(41) Average ages are rounded to the nearest year.
	(42) For 1991 to 1993, the age of midwives is known only within bands.
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

MRI Scanners

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the recommended minimum number of radiographers is to each MRI scanner.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 11 July 2003
	The Department of Health has not issued a recommendation on the minimum number of radiographers required for each mirror resonance imaging scanner. Staffing levels for all clinical and medical staff groups are determined locally, consistent with trust requirements, professional recommendations and other local healthcare needs.

Neurology Nurse Specialists

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the need for neurology nurse specialists in the hospital trust areas covering Portsmouth; what the current staffing requirement is for each of the trusts; what the current level of staffing is of each; what plans he has to make changes to staffing levels; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally. The non-medical workforce census collects information annually on the number of nurses employed in the national health service as at 30 September each year but cannot distinguish those who are specialist neurological nurses.
	Workforce is recognised as key to the successful delivery of the NHS Plan and the national service frameworks. The long term conditions care group workforce team (LTC CGWT) has been set up to support workforce development in the fields of diabetes, renal and long term conditions. The LTC CGWT addresses workforce planning for neurological nurses. Its aim is to help deliver a multidisciplinary and integrated health and social care workforce to support service improvement. Membership of the LTC CGWT includes representatives of the Neurological Alliance and the North West Clinical Neuroscience Partnership.

NHS Professionals

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many agency staff of all grades NHS Professionals has employed to carry out its central functions and administration in each month; and at what cost;
	(2)  what the (a) start up and (b) quarterly costs of NHS Professionals have been since its inception; how many staff have been employed; and at what cost;
	(3)  which NHS trusts NHS Professionals has had contracts with in each month since its inception; when those contracts were entered into; when they ended; and what their value was;
	(4)  how many agency staff NHS Professionals has deployed in each month since its inception; what the cost was to NHS Professionals of deploying staff; and what the income received from NHS trusts was;
	(5)  how many and what grades of staff have been retained for agency work by NHS Professionals in each month since its inception.

John Hutton: The information requested on the staffing of NHS Professionals is not collected centrally, but is available from individual NHS Professionals service providers.
	NHS Professionals was allocated 7 million to support the start up of pilot sites. A further 24 million has been invested in 200203 to support roll out and we will continue to invest in NHS Professionals to ensure implementation. We have also earmarked up to 35 million to support the establishment of the NHS Professionals Special Health Authority by the end of this year, and continuing development in 200405. Thereafter, the special health authority should operate on a self-financing basis delivering more cost effective temporary staff to the national health service.
	The NHS trusts which are using NHS Professionals are shown in the following list. Information on contracts and staffing is not available centrally.
	NHS trusts which host NHS Professionals include the expenditure for deploying agency staff in their accounts and financial returns. The trusts are St. Mary's NHS Trust Paddington, Barking, Having and Redbridge NHS Trust, West Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, John Radcliffe NHS Trust, East and North Herts NHS Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust. NHS trusts which utilise the services of NHS Professionals are recharged for these services and will also include these payments in their own accounts and financial returns.
	There are 50,000 staff registered with NHS Professionals. Information on grades of staff is not available. NHS Trusts using NHS Professionals
	Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust
	Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust
	Bath and NE Somerset PCT, Bath
	Cherwell Vale PCT, Oxfordshire
	Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester
	City Hospital Sunderland NHS Trust
	Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, Stourbridge
	East and North Herts NHS Trust, Stevenage
	East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Epping Forest PCT
	George Eliot NHS Trust, Nuneaton
	Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
	Harlow PCT
	Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust, Newport
	Lancashire Care NHS Trust, Preston
	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
	Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester
	Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Wakefield
	North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol
	North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	North East Oxfordshire PCT
	North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
	North Mersey Community NHS Trust
	North Middlesex University Hospital
	Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust
	Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust, Oxford
	Oxford City PCT
	Oxford Learning Disability NHS Trust
	Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust
	Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust
	Penine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Oldham
	Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
	Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust
	Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust
	Royston, Buntingford and Bishops Stortford PCT
	Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust
	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
	South East Oxfordshire PCT
	South Leeds PCT
	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust
	South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, Middlesbrough
	South West Oxfordshire PCT
	South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust
	St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust
	St. Marys NHS Trust, London
	Stockport NHS Trust
	United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	University College London Hospitals NHS Trust
	University Hospital, Nottingham NHS Trust
	Uttlesford PCT, Essex
	Walsall PCT
	Walton Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust, Liverpool
	West Middlesex University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust
	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

NHS Services (Gloucestershire)

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the results of the NHS GP survey in Gloucestershire.

Rosie Winterton: Two areas, acute and primary care, were surveyed as part of the National 2002 Patient Survey Programme. The results have been disseminated on a strategic health authority (SHA) basis. This will allow for the cross-comparison of both the acute and the primary care data for local benchmarking purposes. The approach enables SHAs to maintain an overview of how results are formulated into local follow-up plans.
	Information on the results of the NHS GP Survey in Gloucestershire is available from the Chief Executive of the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority.

NHS Staff Absence

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the absence rates in the NHS were in days per employee per year in (a) England and (b) each region in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: Figures for sickness absence in England were not collected by the Department of Health between 1997 and 1999. The table shows the figures published for sickness absence in England and its regions and covers the period from 1999 to 2001. Figures for 2002 will be published in the near future.
	We do not collect or produce information for numbers of days lost per employee, but publish the figures as a percentage lost of the time they should have been available for work. General practitioners and their staff are not included in these figures as we do not collect this information.
	
		Percentage
		
			  1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 England 4.9 4.7 4.8 
			 
			 Regions
			 Eastern 4.7 4.8 4.8 
			 London 4.4 4.0 4.2 
			 North West 5.5 5.1 5.0 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 4.9 4.9 4.8 
			 South East 4.4 4.1 4.4 
			 South West 5.0 4.8 4.8 
			 Trent 4.9 5.0 5.3 
			 West Midlands 5.3 5.0 5.0

Nursing Homes (Wandsworth)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) private and (b) public residential nursing homes are registered in the London borough of Wandsworth.

Stephen Ladyman: At 31 March 2001, there were 58 registered independent general and mental nursing homes in Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority. There are no registered public sector nursing care homes. Separate figures are not available for Wandsworth.

Obesity

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating obesity related health problems in the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: Figures for the cost to the national health service of treating obesity related health problems in the last five years are not available. However, the National Audit Office (NAO) report, Tackling Obesity in England, published in February 2001, estimated that the direct cost to the NHS of treating obesity in 1998 was 9.4 million. The NAO also estimated that treating the consequences of obesity cost the NHS approximately469.9 million for 1998.

Overseas Patients

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with which countries the UK has reciprocal arrangements for free medical treatment.

John Hutton: The healthcare co-ordination arrangements contained in Regulations (EEC) 1408/71 and 574/72 apply in all the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The United Kingdom also has bilateral healthcare arrangements with more than 30 non-EEA countries and territories.
	A fundamental principle underlying all the arrangements is that emergency treatment is provided under the state healthcare scheme to entitled visitors on the same terms as it is available to insured residents of the host country. Most countries and territories make some charges for some services.

Overseas Recruitment

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to recruit trained (a) doctors and (b) nurses from the Indian sub-continent to Britain.

John Hutton: The Department of Health has agreed with the Indian Ministry of Health that the National Health Service can recruit healthcare professionals from particular states in India in compliance with the Department's International Code of Practice. A centrally managed campaign is already under way and doctors and nurses have been successfully recruited.
	Doctors and nurses from India can find out more on: www.doh.gov.uk/international-recruitment.

Overseas Recruitment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the NHS recruitment seminars held in May and June in (a) Austria, (b) Germany and (c) Italy; and how many applications have been received as a consequence of these seminars.

John Hutton: The cost of the venues for the recruitment seminars that were held in Austria in May was 7,587 and the cost of the venues for the Italian seminars, held in June, was 6,718. The recruitment seminars in Germany in May were held in Foreign and Commonwealth buildings and therefore only incurred minimal catering costs. The Department of Health has received 181 new applications from doctors, as a result of these seminars.

Plastic Surgery

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations apply to doctors who carry out plastic surgery procedures; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: All doctors who describe themselves as medical practitioners must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). To become a consultant in plastic surgery in the national health service, a doctor must have a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in the specialty.
	In the private healthcare sector, regulation by the National Care Standards Commission requires surgeons carrying out cosmetic surgery to be registered with the GMC. Those beginning to practise in the private sector after 1 April 2002 are required to be on the specialist register. Plastic surgeons who were already practising in the private sector at the time the new legislation came into force are allowed to continue practising, provided that they meet other stringent standards in qualification and training.

Primary Care Trusts

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appointees to primary care trust boards have met the disability criteria.

Rosie Winterton: There are currently 294 chairs of primary care trusts and 1,624 non-executive board members. Eight of the chairs and 73 of the non-executive board members are disabled.

Purley Hospital

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 19 June 2003, Official Report, column 17475W, on Purley Hospital, what his definition of the Croydon South locality is; and what the maximum population is that the new hospital will serve.

John Hutton: The proposed new Purley Hospital is primarily focused on the south of Croydon, geographically defined by the electoral wards of Kenley, Purley, Coulsdon West, Coulsdon East, Sanderstead and Chroam. In practice, some planned services will serve a slightly larger population and some a smaller population dependent on the service.

Salt

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned on the savings to the NHS which might follow from a reduction in the average adult intake of salt to no more than six grams per day; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Population average salt intake in the United Kingdom is currently around 9g per day. Previous studies have suggested that a reduction in salt intake from 9g to 6g per day would reduce diastolic pressure in the region of 2mm Hg.
	The recently published Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) report on Salt and Health (2003) states that, On a population basis it has been estimated that a reduction of 2mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure would result in 15 per cent. reduction in risk of stroke and transient ischaemic heart attacks and a 6 per cent. reduction in risk of coronary heart disease (Cook et al 1995). McPherson et al (2002) have estimated that 6 per cent. of deaths from coronary heart disease could be avoided if the numbers of people with high blood pressure were reduced by 50 per cent..
	The Department has not calculated the impact of salt reduction on national health service costs. Identifying savings attributable solely to a single intervention such as salt reduction would be extremely difficult. However, the benefits to health are clear, and based on the estimates from the SACN report, there could be substantial cost benefit to the NHS.

Smoking

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the proportion of children and teenagers who smoke.

Melanie Johnson: The 1998 White Paper Smoking Kills set a target to reduce smoking among 11 to 15-year-olds from 13 per cent. in 1996 to 9 per cent. by 2010 with a fall to 11 per cent. by 2005.
	Among 11 to 15-year-olds, smoking prevalence has remained unchanged since 2000 at ten per cent. and we are on course to meet our target for reducing smoking.
	The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Prevalence of regular cigarette smoking among secondary school pupils aged 11 to 15, by genderEngland, 1996 to 2002 -- Percentages
		
			  1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Boys 11 9 8 9 8 9 
			 Girls 15 12 10 12 11 11 
			 All pupils 13 11 9 10 10 10 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Regular smokers are those who smoke at least one cigarette a week, on average.
	Source:
	The Department of Health Statistical Press Notice Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2002: Provisional Results http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/spnmar03-smoking.htm
	
		Prevalence of smoking cigarettes among adults, aged 1619 and gender, England 19962001 -- Percentages
		
			  (43)1996 (43)1998 (44)1998 (44)2000 (44)2001 
		
		
			 Men 25 30 30 30 24 
			 Women 32 33 33 28 31 
			 All Persons 29 31 31 30 28 
		
	
	(43) Unweighted
	(44) Weighted
	Notes:
	1. Up until 2000, data on the prevalence on smoking from the General Household Survey were only available every two years.
	2. Data for 1998 onwards were weighted to compensate for under-representation of people in some groups: earlier figures were based on unweighted data, and are not therefore directly comparable.
	3. Respondents who answered yes to the question Do you smoke cigarettes at all nowadays?
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics: General Household Survey 2001, published as 'Living in Britain: Results from the 2001 General Household Survey'. Available from the internet at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/lib2001/index.html.

Strategic Health Authority Debt

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of indebtedness of each strategic health authority was in the last year for which figures are available; what assistance the Government is providing to meet (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure relating to those debts; and what assessment he has made of the effects of historic indebtedness on service delivery in each authority.

John Hutton: Strategic health authorities were established in 200203. Information from the individual audited accounts of these bodies will be available locally in September and centrally in autumn 2003.

Tooth Decay

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 2 July 2003, Official Report, column 355W, on tooth decay, to what extent Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust have achieved (a) Target 1 and (b) Target 2.

Rosie Winterton: The two national targets for tooth decay in children aged five years are:
	a reduction in the average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth to 1.0 teeth by 2003; and
	an increase in the proportion of children with no experience of cavities to 70 per cent. by 2003.
	The survey conducted by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry in 200102 showed that the average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth for five-year-old children in Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust was 1.32. The percentage of children with no experience of cavities was 62.7 per cent.

Waiting Lists

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been removed from NHS waiting lists in each of the past three years.

John Hutton: The table shows the number of patients removed from the elective inpatient waiting list. Patients may be removed from waiting lists for a number of reasons such as the patient already having been admitted as an emergency for the same condition, the patient no longer requires the treatment, or the patient has died.
	
		Removals from the elective inpatient waiting list: England
		
			  Removals 
		
		
			 200001 613,931 
			 200102 594,666 
			 200203 600,759 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH06

Xenotransplantation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the review commissioned by UKXIRA from Professor Sheila McLean into xenotransplantation; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department of Health commissioned a series of three reviews on different aspects of xenotransplantation on behalf of the United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority (UKXIRA) between 1999 and 2001. The first twoon infection and on physiologywere published 2001 and 2002. A third review, on the legal and ethical aspects of xenotransplantation, was commissioned from Professor Sheila McLean of the University of Glasgow, who was also a member of the UKXIRA from 1997 to 2002.
	The UKXIRA has considered the review and concluded that it made some useful discussion points and that the summary of the research papers should be placed on the UKXIRA website. While there are no plans to publish Professor McLean's whole review as a Department of Health/UKXIRA document, Professor McLean is free to publish it if she wishes.

Xenotransplantation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on xenotransplantation.

Rosie Winterton: The United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority was established in 1997 to advise the Government on the acceptability of specific applications to undertake xenotransplantation procedures (the transplantation of live cells, tissues and organs from a non-human source into a human). It also acts as a focal point for xenotransplantation issues. Organisations undertaking research into xenotransplantation in the United Kingdom are required to comply with all relevant legislation. No clinical trials involving humans have yet been approved in the UK and currently no relevant organ transplant research is licensed in the UK under the Animals (Science Procedures) Act 1986.

CABINET OFFICE

Asbestos

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 17 June 2003, Official Report, column 155W, on asbestos, if he will list the buildings which have been identified as containing asbestos.

Douglas Alexander: Asbestos is present in a number of historic Cabinet Office buildings going back many years to a time when asbestos was commonly used in the building profession. It is managed in accordance with the current regulations and we are on target to meet the requirements of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 when they come fully into force next year. The buildings identified as containing asbestos are:
	36 and 70 Whitehall
	2 Little Smith Street
	Downing Street
	Admiralty House
	CMPS Residential Training Centre at Sunningdale.

Written Ministerial Statements

John Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Office since 29 October 2002.

Douglas Alexander: Since 29 October 2002 I have made 24 written ministerial statements to Parliament.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits Payments

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer from the Minister for Work, of 7 July 2003, Official Report, column 738, if he will list the (a) objectives referred to by the Minister and (b) time by which each such objective is to be met.

Chris Pond: holding answer 11 July 2003
	The Department has a published Public Service Agreement that by 2005, 85 per cent. of customers will have their benefits paid by Direct Payment. The successful introduction of Universal banking services on 1 April 2003 has ensured that customers will continue to be able to access their money at the Post Office if they wishjust as they do now.

Benefits/Tax Credits

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the total United Kingdom benefit and tax credit expenditure which forms the last line of Table 1: Benefit and Tax Credit expenditure by DWP objective (nominal terms) in the Benefit Expenditure Tables found at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.htm, if he will list the types of tax credit, benefits payment and other components which comprise the quoted figures; for each type of tax credit, benefit payment and other component, whether, according to the accounting methods employed in the 2003 Budget, they are classified as negative tax revenues, Government spending or a combination of the two; and for each tax credit, benefit payment and other component, what amount of tax was refunded and Government spending was incurred for each year since 200102 to the latest year for which figures are projected.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General on 3 July 2003, Official Report, columns 37879W.

Child Support Agency

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the policy of the Child Support Agency is in respect of making applications for reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders against absent parents resident overseas; and how many such applications the CSA has made in each of the last five years.

Chris Pond: The Department for Constitutional Affairs is responsible for administering reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Within Scotland, this function is performed by the Scottish Executive.
	The Child Support Agency does not have jurisdiction over cases where the non-resident parent is habitually resident outside the UK, except if he or she is employed by a British-based employer.

Child Support Agency

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral answer of 7 July 2003, Official Report, column 733, when he plans to make a further report on the performance of the Child Support Agency.

Andrew Smith: I stated on 7 July 2003 during oral questions, Official Report, column 733, that I would shortly report to the House on progress in implementation of the new child support scheme. I have today placed that report in the Library.

Disability Living Allowance

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was claimed in disability living allowance in Scotland in 200203, broken down by local authority.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		Disability living allowance: estimated expenditure in Scotland in the financial year, April 2002 to March 2003, by local authority area --  million
		
			 Local authority Expenditure 
		
		
			 Aberdeen City 25 
			 Aberdeenshire 25 
			 Angus 12 
			 Argyll and Bute 10 
			 The Scottish Borders 11 
			 Clackmannanshire 9 
			 West Dumbartonshire 19 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 22 
			 [Dundee City 24 
			 East Ayrshire 21 
			 East Dumbartonshire 12 
			 East Lothian 13 
			 East Renfrewshire 8 
			 City of Edinburgh 53 
			 Falkirk 23 
			 Fife 54 
			 Glasgow City 140 
			 Highland 24 
			 Inverclyde 16 
			 Midlothian 14 
			 Moray 8 
			 North Ayrshire 23 
			 North Lanarkshire 70 
			 Orkney Islands 2 
			 Perth and Kinross 13 
			 Renfrewshire 31 
			 Shetland Isles 2 
			 South Ayrshire 17 
			 South Lanarkshire 54 
			 Stirling 13 
			 West Lothian 27 
			 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 3 
			   
			 Total Scotland 800 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Expenditure has been assigned to local authority areas by matching postcodes against the relevant Office of National Statistics postcode directory.
	2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	3. Because of relatively small sample sizes at local authority level, the figures are subject to a greater margin of error than would be associated with national level expenditure estimates; all results are rounded to the nearest 1 million, but may not be accurate to this level.
	4. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	Source
	Information and Analysis Directorate, GB estimated outturn expenditure for 200203 apportioned using local authority data from the DLA Quarterly Statistical Enquiry.

Entitlement Card

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with the Home Office about (a) the possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme, (b) the use to which such a card would be put on the matters for which he is responsible and (c) the costs and funding of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: Along with other Government Departments, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has consulted with the Home Office in respect of the possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme. A very high-level consideration of impacts upon the Departments business, should the entitlement card scheme be introduced, has been made. Our initial considerations have focused upon the potential application of the National Insurance number (NINO) to the scheme, and to impacts upon our current and future business processes. However, at this stage, it is not possible to respond in any greater detail.

EU Committees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in the Department serve on EU committees or working parties.

Chris Pond: Membership of EU committees and working parties is not fixed, and depending on the subject matter under consideration, the most appropriate policy officials attend these meetings. 141 officials currently serve on 158 EU committees and working parties.
	Of these, 82 officials serve on 116 Health and Safety groups, and 16 officials (serving 14 education committees and working parties) work for the Joint International Unit (Department for Education and Skills and Department for Work and Pensions), which, for administrative purposes, is located in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Benefit Fraud

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the savings his Department has made from the investigation of fraud in each of the last six years;
	(2)  if he will estimate the savings arising from the (a) National Benefit Fraud Hotline and (b) report-a-cheat-online claim forms in each of the last six years.

Chris Pond: The investigation of fraud leads to savings in two ways. The detection of fraud already in the system prevents further losses in those cases and secondly our work to tackle fraud acts as a deterrent to prevent potential fraud happening in the first place. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the total savings resulting from our anti-fraud work.
	However, we know from our continuous measurement of the level of fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance that between 199798 and 200102 we had achieved a reduction of 24 per cent. We are committed to achieving our target of a 33 per cent. reduction for working age customers by 2004, and a 50 per cent. reduction by 2006.

Benefit Fraud

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls have been made to the national benefit fraud hotline in each of the last six years; and how many have resulted in successful prosecutions.

Chris Pond: The available information is in the table.
	
		National benefit fraud hotline
		
			 April-March Number of calls received Successful prosecutions 
		
		
			 199798 188,038 n/a(45) 
			 199899 170,032 n/a(45) 
			 19992000 162,067 335 
			 200001 (46)208,201 492 
			 200102 (46)205,999 703 
			 200203 (46)159,290 706 
		
	
	(45) Full information on the number of successful prosecutions resulting from calls to the national benefit fraud hotline is available only from April 1999.
	(46) Figures include calls received by the Call Centre Bureau, which since May 2000 has been contracted to answer calls outside normal working hours when the main hotline is closed.
	Source:
	National benefit fraud hotline and fraud information by sector.

Benefit Fraud

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of administering the (a) national benefit fraud hotline and (b) report-a-cheat-online claim form in each of the last six years.

Chris Pond: The available information is in the table.
	
		Cost of administering the national benefit fraud hotline and the 'report-a-cheat-online' claim form(47) -- 
		
			 Year(48) Staffing(49) Goods and services Total 
		
		
			 200001 494,457 133,347 627,804 
			 200102 529,026 556,974 1,086,000 
			 200203 597,807 361,470 959,277 
		
	
	(47)The cost of administering the NBFH and report-a-cheat-online cannot be separated.
	(48)Cost figures are not available prior to 200001.
	(49)Staffing costs are based on the employment of telephone operators and the admin support needed to assist the operation.
	Source:
	National benefit fraud hotline (NBFH)

Benefit Fraud

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of benefit fraud have been detected in each of the last six years; and how many resulted in successful prosecution.

Chris Pond: The number of cases of benefit fraud detected is not available. The number of cases resulting in a successful prosecution, caution or administrative penalty is in the table.
	
		Fraud investigations
		
			  Successful prosecutions   Cautions and administrative penalties as an alternative to prosecution  
			  DWP Local authorities DWP Local authorities Total 
		
		
			 199798 11,380 700   12,080 
			 199899 9,970 800   10,770 
			 19992000 9,130 860 11,030 390 21,410 
			 200001 11,400 1,100 15,560 550 28,610 
			 200102 11,180 1,700 13,550 2,600 29,030 
			 200203 9,270 2,500 14,270 6,000 32,040 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Administrative penalties, as an alternative to prosecution, were introduced by the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act (1997) with effect from December 1998. Cautions were made available to local authorities as a sanction from the start of 200102.
	2. Figures for financial years 199798 to 200001 are taken from local authority management information returns. It is possible that there could be some double counting with DWP data if there were cases which involved a joint prosecution.
	3. Management information data for financial years 199798 to 200001 is not available for all local authorities. The total for Great Britain includes estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents. The figures for financial years 199798 to 200001 have been rounded to two significant figures.
	4. Information for 200102 is from a count of prosecutions and sanctions completed by all local authorities; this data is collected from local authority subsidy returns. Subsidy data may differ from management information data (shown for financial years 199798 to 200001) at local authority level; however, analysis shows a high level of consistency between the two data sources at national level.
	5. The DWP figures are from the Fraud Information By Sector database, which shows completed cases commenced in the relevant period. Due to the elapsed time between commencement of an investigation and completion of a prosecution there are cases that are inserted into previously completed data for earlier periods. All DWP totals are therefore correct at the time when quoted but subject to adjustment at a later date.
	6. In accordance with National Statistics Guidelines all DWP figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding process totals may not agree.

Benefit Fraud

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 4 July 2003, Official Report, columns 52223W, on fraud (Scotland), by what means his Department tracks trends in council tax benefit fraud (a) at national and (b) local authority level.

Chris Pond: The measurement of fraud and error is complex and expensive and as such it is concentrated on benefits with the highest expenditure and risk of loss, such as housing benefit. Information on the cost of fraud and error is not available for council tax benefit. However, the measures that we are taking to fight fraud and error in housing benefit will also serve to improve the accuracy of council tax benefit.

Homelessness

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits are available to homeless families in priority need.

Chris Pond: Homeless people, including homeless families in priority need, have access to the same benefits as anyone else, providing they meet the conditions of entitlement.

Jobseeker's Allowance

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was claimed in jobseeker's allowance in Scotland in 200203, broken down by local authority.

Chris Pond: Jobseeker's allowance gross benefit expenditure in Scotland for 200203 was 273,597,824.62. This figure is not available broken down by local authority area, but is available by district and local office, and this information has been placed in the Library.

Pension Credit Hotline

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when information is being provided about the pension credit hotline to people who are likely to be eligible for the pension credit;
	(2)  what the number is of the pension credit hotline; and how many helpline operators there are;
	(3)  how many calls have been received by the pension credit hotline in each week since it first opened.

Malcolm Wicks: The Pension Service began in April 2003 to write to pensioner households to explain pension credit and to invite applications. The letters include the number of the freephone application line (0800 99 1234) and a separate textphone number (0800 169 0133). By June 2004, all pensioner households will have been contacted in this way. The two numbers will also be included in an advertising campaign scheduled to begin in September 2003. The application line will have around 1,500 whole-time equivalent staff when pension credit is implemented in October 2003. Information on the number of calls received is not available in the format requested. The number of calls received by the application line between 7 April 2003, when the line went live, and 30 June 2003 was 114,000.

Pension Payments

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the Government will pay pensions after current pension books expire to pensioners who currently use their pension book to collect their pension at a Post Office and who do not nominate a bank account or a Post Office Card Account into which they wish their pension to be paid.

Chris Pond: holding answer 11 July 2003
	Customers will be supplied with information that clearly sets out their account options. This will enable them to choose the account which best meets their needs and circumstances. An alternative method of payment will be available for those who are genuinely unable to open or operate any type of bank account.

Pensioner Income

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what forecasts his Department has made of average pensioner income levels over the next five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Work and Pensions does not make forecasts of future pensioner incomes. However to project future expenditure on Pension Credit it was assumed that pensioner income brought to account would increase in line with earnings.
	The Pensioner Income Series 200001 shows that the average net income before housing costs of pensioner couples in 200001 was 301 and the average income of single pensioners was 160 per week (amounts shown in 200001 price terms).
	The average net income of pensioners grew by around 23 per cent. in real terms between 199405 and 200102.

Pensions

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when and how people whose retirement pensions are paid monthly into their bank accounts have been informed of the availability of weekly payment.

Chris Pond: The Department has no plans to contact customers who currently receive four-weekly payments into a bank or building society account. Customers will only be contacted if they are directly affected by the change to Direct Payment. Therefore for those pensioners currently paid four weekly directly into their account, payment frequency will remain the same. Any pensioners from this group, who wish to change to weekly payments, will need to contact the Pension Service to request this.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 630W on pensions, what plans he has to update the figures quoted by the right hon. Member of Makerfield (Mr. McCartney) on 26 November 2002, Official Report, column 210W.

Malcolm Wicks: Departmental analysts are currently working on processing and investigating NIRS2 data covering the financial years up to 200001. It is intended that this data will be published in the Autumn.

Pensions

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households there are in each region of Great Britain.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the information in the table shows the number of households in receipt of a winter fuel payment containing a person of state pension age (60 for women, 65 for men) in each government office region of Great Britain.
	
		
			 Government office region Households in receipt of a winter fuel payment containing a person of state pension age 
		
		
			 North East 300,000 
			 North West 900,000 
			 Yorkshire and the Number 700,000 
			 East Midlands 500,000 
			 West Midlands 700,000 
			 East of England 700,000 
			 London 800,000 
			 South East 1,100,000 
			 South West 700,000 
			 Wales 400,000 
			 Scotland 600,000 
			 Total 7,400,000 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Figures include people in residential care
	2. Numbers of pensioner households are rounded to the nearest 100,000
	Source:
	Information taken from the winter fuel payment 2002/03 administrative database

Policy Simulation Model

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the use of the policy simulation model by his Department; and if he will place its specifications in the Library.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Work and Pension's Policy Simulation Model is a static microsimulation model used by analysts within the department to estimate the budgetary and distributional impacts of a range of hypothetical and actual policy changes. The model is similar in purpose and functionality to those maintained by HM Treasury (IGOTM), the Institute for Fiscal Studies (TAXBEN) and the Cambridge Microsimulation Unit (POLIMOD). An overview of the model has been placed in the Library.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Department has taken to publicise its Public Service Agreement targets; and at what cost to public funds.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Work and Pensions reports progress against Public Service Agreement targets in routine publications, such as the annual Departmental Report and Autumn Performance Report. These are also available to the public on the Department's website (www.dwp.gov.uk.) and to staff via the intranet. These incur no significant additional cost to public funds.

SchlumbergerSema

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the levels of performance against the key performance targets in respect of SchlumbergerSema in (a) March, (b) April and (c) May 2003; whether a financial penalty has been imposed for failure to meet targets in these months; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: A table showing the levels of achievement against 15 key performance targets in each of the three contract packages for March, April and May 2003, has been placed in the Library.
	Service credits for failure to meet contractual service level targets have been applied as appropriate in each of those three months.

Social Fund

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his plans are to reform the Social Fund.

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to reform the Social Fund.

Chris Pond: As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed in his recent budget report, we are considering the case for further reform of the Social Fund.

Stakeholder Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Answer of 8 July 2003, Official Report, column 76465W, on stakeholder schemes, how many companies the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority has fined for non-compliance with the workplace access requirements for stakeholder pensions schemes; and what the average value was of those fines.

Malcolm Wicks: The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra) regulates compliance with the Stakeholder Pensions workplace access requirements by responding to whistleblowers' reports and by using surveys targeted by region and business sector. When cases of non-compliance come to light, Opra focuses on working with the employer to rectify the situation rather than taking a merely punitive approach. Since the requirements came into force on 8 October 2001, Opra has received 440 reports concerning the stakeholder access requirements. To date, 427 of these cases have been closed, either because, as a result of Opra and the employer working together, full compliance was achieved, or because the employer proved to be exempt from the requirements. The remaining 13 cases are still under investigation by Opra.

Sustainable Development

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what remit relating to sustainable development is required by his Department's (a) executive agencies, (b) advisory non-departmental bodies, (c) executive non-departmental bodies, (d) tribunals, (e) public corporations and (f) other bodies.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on what responsibilities relating to sustainable development are (a) required of and (b) undertaken by his Department's (i) executive agencies, (ii) advisory non-departmental bodies, (iii) executive non-departmental bodies, (iv) tribunals, (v) public corporations and (vi) other bodies.

Malcolm Wicks: All DWP Executive Agencies and other associated bodies are required to follow the Department's Sustainable Development Policy Statement (which is on the dwp website dwp.gov.uk/sus-dev/documents/policy.pdf). A Sustainable Development Steering Group, comprised of senior officials from across the Department and its Executive Agencies, has the responsibility for ensuring that the policy statement is observed and that a positive contribution is made towards the Departments Sustainable Development Improvement Programme. This includes all the targets from the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Telecommunications Masts

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many planning applications have been made to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department.

Maria Eagle: Since August 2001, when the current planning regulations on mobile telecommunications masts came into force, there have been three planning applications to site masts on the DWP estate.
	There are currently 10 Mobile Telecommunications Masts on the DWP Estate. These were in place before August 2001.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Legislative Programme

Graham Allen: To ask the Leader of the House if he will publish the list of Departments who have bid for Bills in the new session.

Peter Hain: No. Government do not release papers, information or correspondence relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees or pre-empt the content of the Queen's Speech.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Unmarried Couples (Legal Rights)

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to extend property, benefit and pension rights to the bereaved partner in an unmarried co-habiting relationship following the death of their partner.

David Lammy: On 30 June, my right Hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions and the Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, published 'Civil Partnershipa framework for the legal recognition of same sex couples'. It sets out Government proposals for the establishment of civil partnership registration for same sex couples, while also making clear that it is not proposed to extend these arrangements to unmarried opposite sex couples.
	The Civil Partnership consultation paper proposes to give same-sex civil partners the same rights as married couples in respect of the intestacy rules and of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The paper also sets out proposals relating to property and benefits rights. There are no proposals in relation to opposite-sex cohabiting couples, as they have the option of marriage available to them should they wish it.

Unmarried Couples (Legal Rights)

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent representations he has received on extending legal rights to unmarried couples.

David Lammy: The Law Commission published a discussion paper on the property rights of home sharers in July 2002, entitled 'Home Sharers'. In addition, the Law Society has published draft proposals for the introduction of increased legal rights of cohabiting couples, entitled Cohabitationthe case for clear law also in July 2002.

Unmarried Couples (Legal Rights)

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what plans he has to extend legal rights to unmarried couples;
	(2)  what action he is taking to give property and pension rights to couples who choose not to marry.

David Lammy: On 30 June, my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions and the Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, published 'Civil Partnershipa framework for the legal recognition of same sex couples'. It sets out Government proposals for the establishment of civil partnership registration for same sex couples, while also making clear that it is not proposed to extend this arrangement to unmarried opposite sex couples.
	However, in recognition of the extent of misunderstanding about the status of 'common law marriage', I am exploring, together with other relevant colleagues, how best to undertake an information campaign so that unmarried couples can be more fully and accurately informed about their position.

Civil Injuries Compensation

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to extend eligibility for civil injuries compensation to the bereaved partner in an unmarried co-habiting relationship following the death of their partner.

David Lammy: Under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, an opposite sex cohabitant of a person who has died as a result of another person's negligence is entitled to claim for financial loss as a dependant if he or she had lived with the deceased partner for at least two years prior to the death. The Government's consultation paper Civil Partnership: A framework for the legal recognition of same sex couples proposes that same sex couples who register a partnership should be eligible to claim for financial loss and bereavement damages in the same way that spouses can.
	The Law Commission in its report Claims for Wrongful Death has recommended that other same sex and opposite sex cohabitants who can show dependency should also be entitled to claim. The Commission has also recommended that same sex and opposite sex cohabitants who have lived together for at least two years prior to the death should be entitled to an award of bereavement damages. The Government is currently considering these proposals.

Civil Injuries Compensation

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action he is taking to extend eligibility for civil injuries compensation to the children of parents in an unmarried co-habiting relationship following the death of one of their parents.

David Lammy: Under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, any child of a deceased person where that person has died as a result of another person's negligence is entitled as a dependant to claim damages for any financial loss suffered. The Law Commission in its report Claims for Wrongful Death has recommended that children of the deceased should also be entitled to an award of bereavement damages. The Government is currently considering this proposal.

Entitlement Card

Evan Harris: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office about the (a) possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme, (b) the use to which such a card would be put on the matters for which he is responsible and (c) the costs and funding of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Work on the possible introduction of entitlement cards has involved significant liaison between the Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs and other relevant departments.

Joint Guarantors

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the Data Protection Act 1998 to make provision for individuals to be able to make informed decisions about the financial soundness of potential joint guarantors.

David Lammy: We have no plans to do so. The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates the processing of information relating to individuals through a general framework of good handling rules known as the data protection principles. The Act confers no rights of access to third party personal data. Disclosures of such data may be made consistently with the Act, provided that they comply with the data protection principles or meet the terms of a non-disclosure exemption.

Legal Aid

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to conduct an investigation into abuse of the legal aid system.

David Lammy: The Secretary of State and I are most concerned about possible abuses of the legal aid system. However we are confident that the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has strong controls and measures in place to prevent and investigate fraud and abuse of the legal aid system.
	The LSC has established procedures for handling cases where allegations of fraudulent behaviour by suppliers, and clients seeking funding are made and for taking appropriate action where fraud or abuse is uncovered.
	The reforms underpinned by the Access to Justice Act 1999 have significantly strengthened the control of fraud and abuse by suppliers. All suppliers who wish to provide publicly funded legal services are required to work to a contract and to comply with the LSC's quality standards. The LSC reorganised its Investigations Section in 200203 to reflect the fact that fraud control is increasingly achieved via contract management audits, which are the responsibility of the regional offices. Firm action has and is being taken on a number of firms where abuses have been uncovered, including the termination of contracts. The LSC is also working jointly with The Law Society and the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner to actively investigate recent evidence of abuse by way of giving out inducements to asylum seekers at ports of entry. LSC action includes carrying out special audits of firms and the investigation is still continuing.
	The LSC is also committed to actively investigating where doubts arise about whether a funded client is financially eligible for funding. These investigations are conducted by the LSC's Special Investigations Unit, which also assists regional offices with the means assessment of applicants for funding whose financial positions are complex.

Private Offices

Howard Flight: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what have been the running costs of Ministers' private offices in his Department and its predecessor in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: Gross administration costs (formerly known as running costs) for the Ministers' private offices from 1997 to date are set out in the following table:
	
		Administration costs for Ministers' private offices -- 
		
			  Cost 
		
		
			 199798(50) 0 
			 199899 1,055 
			 19992000 1,257 
			 200001 1,585 
			 200102 1,620 
			 200203(51) 2,001 
		
	
	(50) Data not readily available without incurring disproportionate cost.
	(51) The increase in running costs between 200102 and 200203 is a result of the Machinery of Government changes and the consequent expansion of the Ministers' private offices to accommodate the additional areas of responsibility.

Queen's Counsel

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what process was in place to decide who was offered silk prior to the review of the system announced earlier this year; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The selection process for Queen's Counsel prior to the announcement of the review was as follows:
	Application
	Applications were made annually through an advertisement and through the departmental website. The advertisement has for many years usually appeared in early September, and the list of successful applicants was published the following Maundy Thursday.
	Consultation
	Much of the Queen's Counsel exercise was conducted by means of written consultation. Written views were automatically sought from the judiciary, specialist legal associations and other senior practitioners. Applicants were invited to nominate up to six names from the list of automatic consultees who were best placed to provide comments against the criteria. They were also requested to nominate a further six consultees of their own choosing.
	Meetings were held with the Heads of Supreme Court Divisions; the judges in charge of the Commercial Court, the Administrative Court and the Technology and Construction Court; the Presiding Judges; Family Division Liaison Judges; Circuit Leaders and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Bar Council. Meetings were occasionally also held to clarify a consultee's views or, where a consultee has consulted others, the degree of consensus.
	Sift
	Following the consultation period, departmental officials conducted a sift of all applicants, to establish how far the evidence demonstrated that they met the criteria for appointment to the required standard. All marks and comments were given individual consideration. No single comment or mark could, in itself, cause an application to fail.
	The sift was a three-stage process. First, departmental officials working independently of each other prepared a written assessment of the evidence. The second stage consisted of two panels, each comprising a senior official and a lay member. The panels reviewed the applications and classified them according to the strength of the evidence that the applicant met the criteria for appointment. The third stage was moderation by Legal and Judicial Services Group's most senior officials to ensure a consistent standard of decision making and recording.
	The results were presented to the Lord Chancellor in the form of a long list. This list was divided into categories relating to circuit or practice type. It summarised the evidence on every applicant who appeared to meet the criteria to the required standard, dividing them into four groups according to the strength of the evidence. The long list also included the name of any other applicant whose fees were in the upper quartile for their particular practice type or circuit. The Lord Chancellor was provided with the detailed comments received for each applicant who appeared in the long list. He was provided with the names of, and the full comments received on, all ethnic minority, female, and solicitor applicants and those who had a specialist practice on provincial circuits. He also received a separate note of those not included in the long list and a brief summary of the reasons. This material enabled the Lord Chancellor and those he consulted to check the validity of the decision to exclude any of the applicants in the above categories from the Long List.
	Appointment
	The Lord Chancellor personally considered the long list and additional detailed material. He did not confine his consideration to the long list alone and based his final recommendations on all the material available to him. Following his initial consideration, he held separate meetings to discuss the applications with the Law Officers and the heads of Supreme Court divisions and their senior judicial colleagues, who also received copies of the same material. The Lord Chancellor then decided which applicants to recommend to the Queen for appointment.
	There was no limit to the numbers of new Queen's Counsel who could be appointed in a particular year, nor was there a quota of appointments to be filled. The Lord Chancellor made his recommendations for appointment on the basis of the calibre of each individual applicant, as reflected in the views given in that year's round. All applicants who fulfilled the published criteria to the necessary high standard were recommended for appointment.
	Feedback
	Unsuccessful applicants were encouraged to discuss the outcome of their application with a senior member of Legal and Judicial Services Group. Feedback was given in confidence and usually by telephone. The aim of the feedback discussion was to help applicants to understand why they were not appointed by reference to the degree of support received and the tenor of the views obtained. They were given a full account of the comments received, edited only to the extent necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the source.
	Complaints
	The Department explored any issues of concern to the applicant during the feedback process. If there remained unresolved problems, applicants were encouraged to write to the Director General, Legal and Judicial Services Group or the Lord Chancellor.
	If the applicant remained dissatisfied with the way his or her application had been considered, he or she could lodge a complaint with the Commissioner for Judicial Appointments, who would investigate complaints of discrimination, unfairness or maladministration in the way the procedures had been applied.

Solicitors

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to prevent solicitors canvassing for business in public areas.

David Lammy: Professional rules prohibit solicitors or their agents making unsolicited visits or telephone calls to members of the public. In addition, The Law Society has issued guidance in respect of immigration advice which prohibits solicitors or those acting on their behalf approaching people arriving at ports of entry. The breach of the rule and guidance is a disciplinary matter for the Law Society.